deteriorated 1 of 2

adjective

as in deteriorating

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deteriorated

2 of 2

verb

past tense of deteriorate
1
as in worsened
to become worse or of less value the garden slowly deteriorated after months of neglect

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in degraded
to lower in character, dignity, or quality childish name-calling that merely deteriorates what should be a serious discussion on an important issue

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of deteriorated
Adjective
Clark said the supports are needed because equipment used in the investigation is too heavy and difficult to maneuver safely on the deteriorated floor. — Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026 According to the officer, the decision to classify Sands' death as such was the result of the deteriorated condition of his body. — Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 27 June 2026 Crews will spend several days rebuilding and paving each section before moving on to the next, according to a press release, and the project will remove deteriorated pavement before the application of new asphalt. — Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 29 May 2026 But the challenges are equally steep, ranging from deteriorated infrastructure to legal uncertainty and lingering concerns over contract stability after past nationalizations. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026 The trunk contained approximately 10 reels of deteriorated film — many rusted, warped, fragmented or fused together. — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 20 Apr. 2026 The rehab project at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption was sorely needed to repair deteriorated stone, metal and glass that adorns the limestone exterior. — Dylan Lovan, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026 Crews will also remove the deteriorated deck concrete and install new slabs and joints. — Brian Sherrod, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026 The Housatonic Railroad Company will receive $2,636,382 for replacing two grade crossing surfaces in New Milford, replacing deteriorated ties along its corridor. — Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2026
Verb
Her motive wasn’t a major part of the trial, but evidence presented by the prosecution suggested her relationship with her in-laws had deteriorated. — Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026 As the deployment has stretched on and living conditions on board have allegedly deteriorated, the crew of the Lincoln has also reportedly struggled with increasing mental health concerns. — Connor Greene, Time, 14 Aug. 2026 Despite intensive treatment for more than three weeks, her condition deteriorated in the days leading up to her death. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026 Doctors admitted him to the hospital, but his condition only deteriorated. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 2026 In the provincial capital Pontianak, schools suspended in-person classes after air quality deteriorated to unhealthy levels and health officials reported a rise in respiratory illnesses. — ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026 The strings had deteriorated so much that two of them couldn't even be pulled up – replacement time was overdue by about five years. — Scott Kramer, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Under the leadership of Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan’s military has become more involved in general governance and embraced a hard-line approach to terrorism, but the security situation has only deteriorated. — Hasan Ali, Christian Science Monitor, 10 Aug. 2026 Relations between the powerful church and Pashinyan's government have deteriorated rapidly since 2024, when tens of thousands of demonstrators, led by a high-ranking cleric, called for his ouster. — Arkansas Online, 9 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deteriorated
  1. deteriorating
  2. worsened
  3. degraded
  4. decaying
  5. crumbled
  6. weakened
  7. rickety
  8. declined
Adjective
  • The Federal Bureau of Prisons closed the site in 2024 due to deteriorating conditions and understaffing.
    — Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 9 June 2026
Definition of deteriorating
Verb
  • This pollution crisis, first detected 50 years ago, is the result of inadequate wastewater infrastructure and toxic contamination buildup which has worsened dramatically in recent years.
    — Samhita M Ilango, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026
  • His relatives called Montes a troubled man whose struggles have worsened since the recent death of his grandmother, who raised him.
    — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of worsened
Verb
  • Iran is unlikely to give up the leverage offered by having proxies spread across the region, even if some of them have been degraded by Israel or lost a foothold thanks to regime change, as is the case in Syria.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • But now, Wright says Wendy’s has drifted from some of those qualities, telling investors that decisions made in the interest of cost and efficiency had degraded some of the food quality that set the chain apart.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of degraded
Adjective
  • Liberal critics, however, argued—also rightly—that the Soviet Union was a decaying, economically crippled giant by the time Reagan was inaugurated.
    — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The district also could be in for other major changes in the coming years, including the opening of a few new schools to replace multiple decaying, underenrolled schools.
    — Scott Travis, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026
Definition of decaying
Verb
  • The fundamental bargain the United States offered has crumbled, and it will not be easily rebuilt.
    — MARC LYNCH, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The asphalt had crumbled into massive chunks when heavy rain and flooding struck the city about 50 miles east of Indianapolis earlier this week.
    — Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of crumbled
Verb
  • The ultimate effect of Fedorov appeal to everyone’s better angels, is that Zelensky is weakened, the questions of his electoral legitimacy amplified, and the call for an end to the war bolstered.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Positions have hardened, trust has weakened and the room for quiet resolution has narrowed.
    — Sean Pattwell, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of weakened
Adjective
  • Each state has its own system, and many are rickety or verging on obsolescence.
    — Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
  • For years, many ​of Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim minority have embarked on rickety wooden ​boats to try to reach neighbouring countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, ‌in ⁠a bid to flee persecution in Myanmar or overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026
Definition of rickety
Verb
  • And while her office brought its findings to the Illinois State Police and Cook County state’s attorney, a spokesperson said, Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke declined to immediately bring charges.
    — Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Investigators ultimately declined to file criminal charges against Brady Kiser in connection with the toddler’s death.
    — Shayna Jacobs, NBC news, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of declined

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Cite this Entry

“Deteriorated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deteriorated. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on deteriorated

Nglish: Translation of deteriorated for Spanish Speakers

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