deteriorating

[ dih-teer-ee-uh-rey-ting ]

adjective

1. becoming worse or inferior in condition, character, quality, value, etc.:

   A deteriorating house, whatever the cause, will have an adverse effect on your real estate investment.

   Officials have warned of a deteriorating security situation in the disputed territory.

2. disintegrating or wearing away:

   If what you have underneath is fabric or fiberglass, I’d be concerned that deteriorating paint is letting ultraviolet rays do their worst to your aircraft.

Other Words From

• un·de·te·ri·o·rat·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of deteriorating¹

First recorded in 1680–90; deteriorate ( def ) + -ing ²( def )

Example Sentences

Potholes and the deteriorating conditions of rural roads are affecting journeys with vulnerable passengers, a transport provider has said.

From BBC

Speaking in court, Dr Peggy Dwyer SC, the counsel assisting the coroner, said Cauchi had been off his psychotropic medication since 2019, despite authorities being repeatedly warned of his deteriorating state.

From BBC

The Surge wrote about this at length in a separate piece, but: Large majorities of the country, Democrat and Republican alike, had decided by 2022 that Joe Biden shouldn’t run for president again on account of his clearly deteriorating physical and mental fitness for office.

From Slate

Biden had become abysmally unpopular, and his advanced age and deteriorating condition struck majorities of voters as a major concern about his ability to serve another four years.

From Slate

The salary request has also caused grumbling among some inside the department, who question the optics at a time when some police facilities are deteriorating.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• crummy
• decaying
• decrepit
• desolate
• dilapidated
• dingy
• pitiful
• ramshackle
• ratty
• rickety
• run down
• scruffy
• seedy
• shoddy
• squalid
• tacky
• tattered
• threadbare
• worn