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   deteriorate

   /dɪˈtɪərɪəreɪt/

   verb

   • 1. become progressively worse: "relations between the countries had deteriorated sharply" Similar worsenget worsedeclinebe in declinedegeneratedecaycollapsefailfalldropsinkslumpslipslidego downhillgo backwardsgo to rack and ruinstagnatewaneebbinformal:go to potgo to the dogshit the skidsgo down the toiletgo down the tubesgo to the packrare:retrogradedecaydegradedegeneratebreak downdecomposerotputrefygo badgo offspoilperishwitheratrophyweakenfadebreak updisintegratebecome dilapidatedcrumblefall downcollapsefall apartfall to piecesarchaic:corruptOpposite improve

   Word Origin late 16th century (in the sense ‘make worse’): from late Latin deteriorat- ‘worsened’, from the verb deteriorare, from Latin deterior ‘worse’.

   Derivatives

   • 1. deteriorative adjective

   Scrabble Points: 12

   • D

     2

   • E

     1

   • T

     1

   • E

     1

   • R

     1

   • I

     1

   • O

     1

   • R

     1

   • A

     1

   • T

     1

   • E

     1

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