deteriorate

English

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Late Latin dēteriorātus, past participle of Late Latin dēteriorō, derivative of Latin dēterior (“worse”).

Pronunciation

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

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /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. […], volumes (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.

   • 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

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
• Maori: 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