decayed
decayed — verb
- decayedpresent simple I / you / we / they
- decayeds3rd person singular
- decayeding-ing form
- decayededpast simple
1. to slowly fall apart, lose strength, or get into worse condition over time; also
to slowly fall apart, lose strength, or get into worse condition over time; also, to make something do this
The wooden fence around Femi's garden had decayed after years of rain.
intransitive: [subject] decayed over time
Talia's back teeth decayed because she rarely brushed before going to bed.
common collocation: teeth decayed
Trade and trust between the two villages slowly decayed during the long border dispute.
Damp air and salt decayed the iron bolts inside the lighthouse stairwell.
After the factory closed, the small town along the river quietly decayed.
- rotted
more specific to organic matter (wood, food, leaves)
- deteriorated
broader; works for health, materials, situations
- crumbled
implies physical breaking into small pieces
- thrived
for institutions, communities, or living things
- strengthened
for materials or abstract things like trust
文法句型
[subject] decayed
[agent] decayed [object]
用法筆記
Subject is typically physical (wood, metal, teeth, food, buildings) or abstract things that can weaken (trust, power, a relationship, an empire). Transitive use is less common than intransitive.
常見錯誤
2. in physics, the unstable atoms inside a radioactive sample decayed when they bro
in physics, the unstable atoms inside a radioactive sample decayed when they broke apart on their own, turning into other elements and giving off radiation
About half of the uranium sample decayed during the experiment in Lotte's lab.
intransitive: [radioactive substance] decayed
The carbon-14 atoms in the old bone had decayed enough to give a clear date.
scientific dating context
Most of the radon trapped in the basement decayed into harmless gases within days.
Once the heavy nucleus decayed, William's detector picked up a sharp burst of radiation.
- disintegrated
common in physics writing; emphasises atoms breaking apart
文法句型
[radioactive substance] decayed (into [product])
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: only sense 2 is used in physics, chemistry, and archaeology to describe atomic-level change. Subject must be a radioactive isotope, atom, or sample — not a building or relationship. Often followed by 'into' plus the resulting element.
常見錯誤
decayed — noun
1. describing things that have rotted, worn down, or been damaged after a long time
describing things that have rotted, worn down, or been damaged after a long time — placed before the noun, such as decayed teeth, decayed leaves, or a decayed old building
Rafael cleared away piles of decayed leaves from the path behind the barn.
attributive: decayed + [organic matter]
The dentist showed Lien an X-ray of two badly decayed molars at the back.
common collocation: decayed teeth / molars
Workers replaced several decayed beams in the roof of the old village schoolhouse.
The empty, decayed buildings on Main Street told the story of the closed mine.
- rotten
more informal; usually for food, wood, and organic matter
- deteriorated
broader and more formal; works for materials, health, and situations
- crumbling
stresses the visible breaking into pieces
文法句型
decayed + [noun]
用法筆記
Most often appears as a past-participle modifier before a noun (decayed teeth, decayed wood, decayed leaves, decayed buildings). Distinguish from sense 2: this everyday meaning is about visible rot or material decline, not atomic-level change.
常見錯誤
2. in science writing, describing atoms or nuclei that have already broken down by
in science writing, describing atoms or nuclei that have already broken down by themselves as part of natural radioactive change, turning into other elements and giving off radiation
Noor measured the share of decayed uranium atoms in the rock sample from the mine.
domain: decayed + [radioactive substance]
Scientists count the decayed carbon atoms in old wood to work out a date.
technical: decayed carbon (carbon-14 dating)
The decayed radon in the basement had already turned into harmless heavier gases.
Nikhil's report listed the ratio of decayed nuclei in three different uranium isotopes.
- disintegrated
common in physics writing for the same atomic process
- stable
describing atoms that have not undergone radioactive change
文法句型
decayed + [atomic / nuclear noun]
用法筆記
Limited to scientific and technical writing. Distinguish from sense 1: requires a radioactive subject (atoms, nuclei, isotopes, named radioactive substances) and refers to atomic-level change, not visible rot or general decline.