Meaning & use
deteriorate
To become progressively worse in condition, quality, or health.
See it in a sentence
His health began to deteriorate rapidly after he stopped taking his medication.
Relations between the two countries deteriorated further after the failed trade talks.
A note on using this word
Deteriorate is intransitive, describing something that worsens on its own; use 'worsen' or 'damage' when something else causes the decline.
Words with a similar meaning
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Words with an opposite meaning
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