Meaning & use
deteriorate
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Meanings
verbintransitive
To become worse in quality, condition, or health over time.
Grammar: No object; something deteriorates on its own. If something else causes the decline, use 'damage' or 'worsen'.
Patterns
- something deteriorates
- deteriorate rapidly
- deteriorate into something
His health deteriorated quickly after the surgery.
The weather deteriorated during the afternoon.
Relations between the two countries deteriorated into open conflict.
verbtransitiverare
To make something worse in quality or condition.
Grammar: This use is less common and often passive: 'The situation was deteriorated by poor leadership.' Most writers prefer 'worsen' or 'damage'.
Patterns
- deteriorate something
Poor maintenance deteriorated the building over the years.
The scandal deteriorated the company's reputation.
Word forms
| third person singular | deteriorates |
|---|---|
| past tense | deteriorated |
| past participle | deteriorated |
| present participle | deteriorating |
Common combinations
- deteriorate rapidly
- The patient's condition deteriorated rapidly overnight.
- deteriorate into chaos
- The peaceful protest deteriorated into chaos.
- health deteriorates
- Her health deteriorated after she stopped taking the medicine.
- relations deteriorate
- Relations between the two sides deteriorated after the incident.
- conditions deteriorate
- Working conditions have deteriorated since the new manager arrived.
Synonyms and how they differ
- worsen
- Very close in meaning, but 'worsen' can be transitive or intransitive, while 'deteriorate' is mainly intransitive.
- decline
- Often suggests a gradual loss of strength or quality, especially in health or standards; 'deteriorate' is stronger and more negative.
- degenerate
- Suggests a fall to a lower, worse state, often morally or socially; 'deteriorate' is more neutral and general.
Opposites
Word family
- deterioration noun
- The process of becoming worse.
- deteriorating adjective
- Getting worse, as in 'deteriorating conditions'.
Commonly confused: deteriorate or determinate? deteriorate or detrimental?
deteriorate vs determinate
Means fixed or settled; it looks similar but has a completely different meaning.
deteriorate vs detrimental
Means harmful; 'deteriorate' means to become worse, not to cause harm.
Practice
The situation in the region has ___ since the peace talks failed.
Choose one answer.
After 'has' we need the past participle 'deteriorated' to form the present perfect. 'Deteriorating' would need a form of 'be', 'deteriorate' is the base form, and 'deteriorates' is present tense, so none fits with 'has'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “deteriorate”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.