deteriorate

English

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.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /dɪˈtɪə.ɹɪə.ɹeɪt/, (proscribed) /dɪˈtɪə.ɹɪ.eɪt/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /dɪˈtɪɹ.iə.ɹeɪt/, /diˈtɪɹ.iə.ɹeɪt/, /dəˈtɪɹ.iə.ɹeɪt/, (proscribed) /dəˈtɪɹ.i.eɪt/

Verb

deteriorate (third-person singular simple present deteriorates, present participle deteriorating, simple past and past participle deteriorated)

1. (transitive) To make worse; to make inferior in quality or value; to impair.

   to deteriorate the mind

   • 1829, Robert Southey, “(please specify the page)”, in Sir Thomas More: or, Colloquies on the Progress and Prospects of Society. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: John Murray, […], →OCLC:

     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.
   • 1947 January and February, O. S. Nock, “"The Aberdonian" in Wartime”, in Railway Magazine, page 7:

     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.

   • 1959 August, J. E. Norris, “The Worcester & Hereford Railway—2”, in Railway Magazine, page 533:

     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.

   • 2011 January 8, Paul Fletcher, “Stevenage 3 - 1 Newcastle”, in BBC‎^[1]:

     It was turning into an abysmal afternoon for Newcastle and it deteriorated further when Tiote saw red for his challenge on Jon Ashton.

Synonyms

• worsen
• to go off (of foods)
• nerf (gaming term)
• degenerate
• weaken

Antonyms

• ameliorate
• better
• improve
• revamp

Derived terms

• biodeteriorate
• deteriorator
• undeteriorated

Related terms

• deterioration
• deteriorative
• deteriorable

Translations

make worse

• Bulgarian: развалям (bg) (razvaljam), влошавам (bg) (vlošavam)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 使……惡化 / 使……恶化 (shǐ ... èhuà), 使……變壞 / 使……变坏 (shǐ ... biànhuài)

• Czech: zhoršit (cs)
• Danish: ødelegge, forværre (da), skænde (da)
• Dutch: verslechteren (nl), slechter maken (nl)
• Estonian: halvenema, alla käima
• Finnish: huonontaa (fi), heikentää (fi), rappeuttaa, vahingoittaa (fi)
• French: détériorer (fr)
• German: verschlechtern (de)
• Greek: χειροτερεύω (el) (cheiroterévo)
• Hebrew: דרדר (he) (dirdér), החמיר m (hechmir)
• Hungarian: leront (hu)
• Italian: deteriorare (it)
• Japanese: 改悪する (ja) (kaiaku suru), 悪化させる (ja) (akka saseru), 悪くする (ja) (waruku suru)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: لە بار کەوتن (le bar kewtin)

• Latin: aggravō, gravō (la), dēteriorō
• Lithuanian: blõginti
• Norwegian: ødelegge (no), skjemme, forverre
• Polish: pogarszać (pl) impf, pogorszyć (pl) pf
• Portuguese: deteriorar (pt), piorar (pt), estragar (pt)
• Russian: ухудша́ть (ru) impf (uxudšátʹ), уху́дшить (ru) pf (uxúdšitʹ)
• Spanish: deteriorar (es)
• Swedish: försämra (sv)
• Turkish: bozmak (tr)
• Volapük: badükumön (vo)
• Welsh: dirywio (cy)

grow worse

• Bulgarian: развалям се (razvaljam se), влошавам се (vlošavam se)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 惡化 / 恶化 (zh) (èhuà), 變壞 / 变坏 (zh) (biànhuài)

• Czech: zhoršit se (cs)
• Danish: forværres, nedbrydes, skændes
• Dutch: verslechteren (nl)
• Finnish: heiketä (fi), huonontua (fi), rapistua, rappeutua (fi)
• German: verschlechtern (de), sich verschlechtern
• Greek: χειροτερεύω (el) (cheiroterévo)
• Hebrew: הדרדר (hidardér)
• Hungarian: rosszabbodik (hu)
• Irish: meath, meathlaigh
• Italian: deteriorarsi
• Japanese: 悪化する (ja) (akka suru), 悪くなる (ja) (waruku naru)
• Korean: 악화되다 (ko) (akhwadoeda)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: لە بار کەوتن (le bar kewtin)

• Latin: deterioror
• Lithuanian: blogė́ti
• Māori: tauheke, tipuheke, māwhe (of health), tāmatemate, whakamōnenehu
• Norwegian: nedbrytes, skjemmes, forverres
• Polish: pogarszać się (pl) impf, pogorszyć się (pl) pf
• Portuguese: deteriorar (pt), piorar (pt)
• Russian: ухудша́ться (ru) impf (uxudšátʹsja), уху́дшиться (ru) pf (uxúdšitʹsja)
• Sanskrit: भ्रंशते (bhraṃśate)
• Scottish Gaelic: mùth, rach bhuaithe
• Spanish: deteriorar (es)
• Swedish: försämras (sv)
• Turkish: bozulmak (tr), kötüleşmek (tr)
• Volapük: badikumön (vo)

Italian

Etymology 1

Adjective

deteriorate

1. feminine plural of deteriorato

Participle

deteriorate f pl

1. feminine plural of deteriorato

Etymology 2

Verb

deteriorate

1. inflection of deteriorare:
   1. second-person plural present indicative
   2. second-person plural imperative

Spanish

Verb

deteriorate

1. second-person singular voseo imperative of deteriorar combined with te