Decay synonyms
dĭ-kā'
Category:
Part of speech:
The separation of a substance into simpler substances or basic elements. Decomposition can be brought about by exposure to heat, light, or chemical or biological activity.
A rotting or rotten thing or part
The process by which something rots.
No longer in working order
The quality or state of being perishable; impermanence.
Weakened or worn out from age or wear
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Decay of a bone or tooth, especially dental caries.
The process of growing worse, or the state of having grown worse.
A process by which anything disintegrates.
The end of life of an organism or cell. In humans and animals, death is manifested by the permanent cessation of vital organic functions, including the absence of heartbeat, spontaneous breathing, and brain activity. Cells die as a result of external injury or by an orderly, programmed series of self-destructive events known as apoptosis . The most common causes of death for humans in well-developed countries are cardiovascular disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, certain chronic diseases such as diabetes and emphysema, lung infections, and accidents.
A progressive decrease in the strength of a conditioned response, often resulting in its elimination, because of withdrawal of a specific stimulus.
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saprophytic
Relating to saprophytes or their life style.
To wear away by degrees; to impair gradually; to diminish by constant loss; to use up; to consume; to spend; to wear out.
germination (antonym)
The beginning of growth, as of a seed, spore, or bud. The germination of most seeds and spores occurs in response to warmth and water.
To form or discharge pus; fester
Having fallen into a state of disrepair or deterioration, especially through neglect
An ulcerlike sore, esp. in the mouth: thought to be an immune reaction
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(Rare) A corrupting influence
Decadence.
The condition of being decrepit; feebleness or infirmity
The state of being dilapidated, reduced to decay, partially ruined.
Termination or extinction by disintegration or dispersion:
The odorous fumes given off by waste or decaying matter.
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Decay of tissue in a part of the body when the blood supply is obstructed by injury, disease, etc.
(Former) gangrene
Putrid matter.
putridity
The state of being putrid.
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To cause to dwindle:
To cause to fester or rankle.
Having a rotational or orbital movement that is opposite to the movement of most bodies within a celestial system. In the solar system, retrograde bodies are those that rotate or orbit in a clockwise direction (east to west) when viewed from a vantage point above the Earth's north pole. Venus, Uranus, and Pluto have retrograde rotational movements. No planets in the solar system have retrograde orbital movements, but four of Jupiter's moons exhibit such movement.
To cause the ruin of.
development (antonym)
(Uncountable, biology) The process by which a mature multicellular organism or part of an organism is produced by the addition of new cells.
improvement (antonym)
An improving or being improved
strength (antonym)
Capability in terms of numbers or resources:
growth (antonym)
Development from a lower or simpler to a higher or more complex form; evolution.
strengthening (antonym)
That to strengthen.
flourish (antonym)
Anything done in a showy way, as a sweeping movement of the limbs or body
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build (antonym)
To cause to be or grow; create or develop
improve (antonym)
To make beneficial additions or changes:
strengthen (antonym)
grow (antonym)
To increase in size and develop toward maturity, as a plant or animal does by assimilating food
germinate (antonym)
The definition of germinate is to start to grow, develop or sprout.
develop (antonym)
To improve; advance:
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To crumble to dust; disintegrate.
To separate or break down something into its components; to disintegrate or fragment
half-life (related)
The average time needed for half the nuclei in a sample of a radioactive substance to undergo radioactive decay. The half-life of a substance does not equal half of its full duration of radioactivity. For example, if one starts with 100 grams of radium 229, whose half-life is 4 minutes, then after 4 minutes only 50 grams of radium will be left in the sample, after 8 minutes 25 grams will be left, after 12 minutes 12.5 grams will be left, and so on.
radioactive series (related)
A series of unstable radioactive elements and isotopes, in which a given element or isotope beginning the series decays into and is succeeded by the next in the series, and so on until a stable nucleus is arrived at
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fundamental force radioactive decay (related)
The spontaneous transformation of a relatively unstable particle into a set of new particles. For example, a pion decays spontaneously into a muon and an antineutrino. The decay of heavy or unstable atomic nuclei (such as uranium or carbon-10) into more stable nuclei and emitted particles is called radioactive decay . The study of particle decay is fundamental to subatomic physics.
The spontaneous transformation of an unstable atomic nucleus into a lighter one, in which radiation is released in the form of alpha particles, beta particles, gamma rays, and other particles. The rate of decay of radioactive substances such as carbon 14 or uranium is measured in terms of their half-life .
degradation (related)
recrystallization (related)
weathering (related)
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accumulation (related)
stagnation (related)
nonsense-mediated (related)
semi-leptonic (related)
(Sports) A loss of organization (of the parts of a system).
Nonperformance of what is requested or expected; omission:
The act of ruining or the condition of being ruined.
The termination of a romantic or sexual relationship
A substance, as rust, formed by corroding
(Accounting) A downward revaluation, a write-down.
A discolored spot, smudge, or area; a stain.
A reducing or being reduced
Loss, damage, or depreciation resulting from ordinary use and exposure.
A progressive worsening
A minor fault.
pejority
A progressive worsening
An adulterating or being adulterated
The quality of being rotten.
Something spoiled or the amount spoiled
The decaying flesh of a dead body, esp. when regarded as food for scavenging animals
Any of various filamentous fungi, generally a circular colony having a woolly or furry appearance, that grow on the surface of organic matter and contribute to its disintegration.
Any coating or film formed on any other metal by oxidation or corrosion
Oxidation is the process when oxygen combines with an element, changing the appearance of the element.
dry-rot
Metaphorically, a progressive malaise of decay, corruption, or datedness.
black rot
Any of various bacterial or fungous diseases of plants producing discoloration and decay
The definition of a spur is anything that pushes someone or something forward or a device that goes over a shoe during horseback riding for the rider to use to push the horse forward.
The definition of atrophy is the weakening, loss, wasting away, break-down or growth halt of something such as a body part, plant, person, place or thing.
The act of making very lean.
Any atmospheric or soil condition, parasite, or insect that kills, withers, or checks the growth of plants
marasmus
A condition of progressive emaciation, esp. in infants, as from malnutrition or an inability to assimilate food
Any of various fungi or oomycete organisms that form a white or grayish coating on surfaces, such as plant leaves, cloth, or leather, especially under damp, warm conditions. Powdery mildews are important plant diseases usually caused by ascomycete fungi, while downy mildews, including a serious disease of grapevines, are caused by oomycetes.
biodegredation
Decomposition
deliquescence
The action of deliquescing
ravages of time
Decomposition
go-to-seed
(Figuratively, by extension) To deteriorate; to decline into an unkempt or debased condition.
To fade is defined as to become less bright, to grow more faint, less popular, or less strong, or to begin to wither away and disappear.
(Intransitive, figuratively) To lose vigour or power; to languish; to pass away.
To become sour:
(Intransitive) To break or separate into pieces; to disintegrate or come apart.
To cause to curdle, congeal, or become lumpy:
To change in color as by fading, streaking, or staining
To cause to become rotten; spoil:
To be eaten or worn away.
putresce
To decompose as a result of biological action, especially by microorganisms
To disappear as if by melting.
To decline or become debased morally, culturally, etc.
become tainted
become contaminated
pejorate
To make worse; to deteriorate or to worsen.
To lessen the price or value of:
To weaken or disintegrate; decay:
To make or become worse
To descend to the bottom of a body of water or other liquid:
(Idiomatic) To be emotionally in crisis.
fall into decay
To diminish in intenity
fall-to-pieces
(Idiomatic) To feel emotionally devastated; to break down.
To perform poorly or inadequately:
To erode gradually and progressively
To wear (something) away by erosion:
get worse
To get a grade of failure in (a subject)
(Intransitive) To become weak; to decay; to languish.
To make or become weak or weaker.
go from bad to worse
touch bottom
(Idiomatic) Decelerate.
go to rack and ruin
fall on evil days
go-to-the-dogs
(Idiomatic, informal) To decline or deteriorate.
go-to-pot
(Idiomatic) To decline or deteriorate.
reach a new low
reach the depths
hit rock bottom
increase (antonym)
An increasing or becoming increased
preservation (antonym)
A preserving or being preserved
clean (antonym)
Fully and completely.
refresh (antonym)
(Electronics) To renew (the image on a display screen), as by renewing the flow of electrons from the cathode-ray tube:
purify (antonym)
To cleanse (something), or rid (it) of impurities
sense (related)
A meaning that is conveyed, as in speech or writing; signification:
die (related)
Die is defined as to stop living, existing or fade away.
Motion in a retrograde manner
To contaminate or corrupt (something) with an external agent, either physically or morally.
better (related)
To a greater extent or degree:
thrive (related)
To grow vigorously or luxuriantly; improve physically
A decrease in the purchasing power of money
A consuming or being consumed
wasting-away
A progressive worsening
A deterioration or decline to a previous state
(Electronics) Loss of or gain in power in an amplifier caused by unintentional negative feedback.
gradual crumbling
A progressive worsening
The condition of needing repairs; state of neglect; dilapidation
loss of health
A progressive worsening
loss of strength
A progressive worsening
(Uncountable, mathematics) A structural principle of mathematical logic that states that the hypotheses of any derived fact may be freely extended with additional assumptions
progressive decline
A progressive worsening
be impaired
A degenerate action
Synonym Study
- Decompose suggests the breaking up or separation of something into its component elements a decomposing chemical compound: it is also a somewhat euphemistic substitute for rot and putrefy
- Disintegrate implies the breaking up of something into parts or fragments so that the wholeness of the original is destroyed the sunken ship gradually disintegrated
- Molder suggest a slow, progressive, crumbling decay old buildings molder away
- Spoil is the common informal word for the decay of foods fish spoils quickly in summer
- Putrefy suggests the offensive, foul-smelling rotting of animal matter bodies putrefying in the fields
- Rot refers to the decay of organic, esp. vegetable, matter, caused by bacteria, fungi, etc. rotting apples
- Decay implies gradual, often natural, deterioration from a normal or sound condition his teeth have begun to decay
Find another word for decay. In this page you can discover 188 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for decay, like: decomposition, decline, rot, rotting, broken-down, caducity, decrepit, caries, decadence, deterioration and disintegration.
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