deteriorate
verb
de·te·ri·o·rate
di-ˈtir-ē-ə-ˌrāt 
dē-
deteriorated; deteriorating
1
: to make inferior in quality or value : impair
Exposure to sunlight may deteriorate the paint.
2
: to become impaired in quality, functioning, or condition : degenerate
allowed a tradition of academic excellence to deteriorate
his health deteriorated
Examples of deteriorate in a Sentence
efforts to save a deteriorating rain forest
Exposure to rain and sun will gradually deteriorate the paint.
Recent Examples on the Web
Resources can only take the program so far when the relationships have deteriorated.
—
Noah White, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2025
Travelers and residents are urged to remain indoors and follow local emergency guidance as conditions deteriorate.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Grid operators are warning of steep increases in electricity demand for the first time in decades, leading utilities to race to expand capacity by reviving plans for natural-gas plants or building new ones, and, in some regions, even extending the life of deteriorating coal facilities.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
Plus, the company outlook index deteriorated sharply, indicating an increasingly negative sentiment about future conditions.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deteriorate
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Noah White, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2025
Travelers and residents are urged to remain indoors and follow local emergency guidance as conditions deteriorate.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Grid operators are warning of steep increases in electricity demand for the first time in decades, leading utilities to race to expand capacity by reviving plans for natural-gas plants or building new ones, and, in some regions, even extending the life of deteriorating coal facilities.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
Plus, the company outlook index deteriorated sharply, indicating an increasingly negative sentiment about future conditions.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deteriorate
Cite this Entry
“Deteriorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deteriorate. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
deteriorate
verb
de·te·ri·o·rate
di-ˈtir-ē-ə-ˌrāt
deteriorated; deteriorating
1
: to make or become worse or of less value : degenerate
deterioration
noun
-ˌtir-ē-ə-ˈrā-shən
Medical Definition
deteriorate
intransitive verb
de·te·ri·o·rate
di-ˈtir-ē-ə-ˌrāt
deteriorated; deteriorating
: to become impaired in quality, functioning, or condition : degenerate
her health deteriorated
deteriorating vision
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