Associations to the word «Deteriorate»

Wiktionary

DETERIORATE, verb. (transitive) To make worse; to make inferior in quality or value; to impair.
DETERIORATE, verb. (intransitive) To grow worse; to be impaired in quality; to degenerate.

Dictionary definition

DETERIORATE, verb. Become worse or disintegrate; "His mind deteriorated".
DETERIORATE, verb. Grow worse; "Her condition deteriorated"; "Conditions in the slums degenerated"; "The discussion devolved into a shouting match".

Wise words

Words are always getting conventionalized to some secondary meaning. It is one of the works of poetry to take the truants in custody and bring them back to their right senses.
William Butler Yeats