DETERIORATED Synonyms: 191 Similar and Opposite Words

deteriorated 1 of 2

adjective

as in deteriorating

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Dissimilar Words

deteriorated

2 of 2

verb

past tense of deteriorate

as in worsened

to become worse or of less value the garden slowly deteriorated after months of neglect

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

The Associated Press OSLO, Norway -- Crown Prince Haakon visited his father King Harald of Norway on Monday at the hospital, after the king's health deteriorated over the weekend, public broadcaster NRK reported. — ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026 Her defense says she was prescribed 13 medications over four months as her mental health deteriorated. — Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 24 Aug. 2026 After just months into its mission, NASA engineers determined the spacecraft’s condition had deteriorated beyond repair. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 23 Aug. 2026 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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for deteriorated

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

Rasonque cut the risk of death by 60%, and patients went longer before their disease progressed and before pain and quality of life worsened.

— Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
Authorities in Indonesia, meanwhile, are racing to control wildfires that have dramatically worsened air-quality levels even before fire season typically peaks.

— Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of worsened

Verb

The invasion has raised European willingness to spend more on defense, and the fighting has badly degraded Russia’s armed forces.

— JENNIFER KAVANAGH, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
Russia’s subsequent full-scale invasion has largely degraded into a battlefield stalemate, with Moscow’s and Kyiv’s forces vying for the upper hand, though the two sides have recently intensified their aerial attacks on one another.

— Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 27 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

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

Trump has declined so far to endorse a successor, opting to keep his cards close ahead of what’s likely to be a bitter race.

— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 29 Aug. 2026
When asked about the lack of any tributes or the evening’s plans to honor Nolan, the Ocean Springs School District declined to comment.

— Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of declined

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“Deteriorated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deteriorated. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of deteriorated

adjective

verb

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