Deteriorate

Pronunciation: /dɪˈtɪriəˌreɪt/

Definitions of deteriorate

verb to become worse in quality or condition

Example Sentences

A1 The old house started to deteriorate after years of neglect.

A2 Leaving fruits out in the sun can cause them to deteriorate quickly.

B1 The company's profits began to deteriorate due to increased competition.

B2 The relationship between the two countries continued to deteriorate as tensions escalated.

C1 The quality of the product deteriorated over time, leading to a decrease in customer satisfaction.

C2 The political situation in the region deteriorated rapidly, causing concern among world leaders.

Examples of deteriorate in a Sentence

formal The condition of the building continued to deteriorate over time.

informal I noticed that my car's paint job started to deteriorate after a few years.

slang His health has really started to go downhill and deteriorate lately.

figurative The relationship between the two countries began to deteriorate after the trade agreement fell through.

Grammatical Forms of deteriorate

• past tense: deteriorated
• plural: deteriorates
• comparative: more deteriorated
• superlative: most deteriorated
• present tense: deteriorates
• future tense: will deteriorate
• perfect tense: has deteriorated
• continuous tense: is deteriorating
• singular: deteriorate
• positive degree: deteriorate
• infinitive: to deteriorate
• gerund: deteriorating
• participle: deteriorating

Origin and Evolution of deteriorate

First Known Use: 1565 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'deteriorate' originated from the Latin word 'deterioratus', which is the past participle of 'deteriorare' meaning 'to make worse'.

Evolution of the word: Over time, 'deteriorate' has retained its original meaning of getting worse or declining in quality, but it has also been used in a broader sense to describe any form of decline or degradation.