deteriorate

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
12
Words With Friends
12
Letters
11
Pronunciation
/dɪˈtɪə.ɹɪə.ɹeɪt/
See all 6 pronunciations
/dɪˈtɪə.ɹɪə.ɹeɪt/ · /dɪˈtɪə.ɹɪ.eɪt/ · /dɪˈtɪɹ.iə.ɹeɪt/ · /diˈtɪɹ.iə.ɹeɪt/ · /dəˈtɪɹ.iə.ɹeɪt/ · /dəˈtɪɹ.i.eɪt/

Definition of deteriorate

2 senses · 1 part of speech · etymology included

verb

  1. (transitive)To make worse; to make inferior in quality or value; to impair.
    “to deteriorate the mind”
    “The art of war, like every other art, ecclesiastical architecture alone excepted, was greatly deteriorated during those years of general degradation[…]”
See all 2 definitions

verb

  1. (transitive)To make worse; to make inferior in quality or value; to impair.
    “to deteriorate the mind”
    “The art of war, like every other art, ecclesiastical architecture alone excepted, was greatly deteriorated during those years of general degradation[…]”
  2. (intransitive)To grow worse; to be impaired in quality; to degenerate.
    “During this fine run through Fife the weather had deteriorated rapidly, and as we passed Wormit and came onto the Tay Bridge heavy rain clouds were piled over the sea.”
    “The condition of the tunnel continued to deteriorate, aggravated by the vibration from the heavy traffic, and stories of trains emerging with dislodged bricks on their roofs are probably not exaggerated.”
    “It was turning into an abysmal afternoon for Newcastle and it deteriorated further when Tiote saw red for his challenge on Jon Ashton.”

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Late Latin dēteriorātus, perfect passive participle of Late Latin dēteriorō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), further from Latin dēterior (“worse”). Cognate with French détériorer.

Words you can make from deteriorate

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2 words

8-letter words

6 words

7-letter words

23 words

6-letter words

72 words

5-letter words

73 words

4-letter words

23 words

Hooks

2 extensions · 2 back

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