deteriorated
deteriorated — verb
1. to decline in quality, condition, or strength — for example, a friendship growin
to decline in quality, condition, or strength — for example, a friendship growing more strained, a patient's health worsening, or a building falling into disrepair.
After months without maintenance, the deteriorated roads in the mountain village caused frequent accidents.
deteriorated + noun (participial adjective)
Kwame's relationship with his business partner deteriorated after the dispute over company funds.
deteriorate + after + [event trigger]
Sofia's doctor said her grandfather's eyesight had deteriorated too much for driving.
As funding was cut year after year, public healthcare quality in the region deteriorated steadily.
The team's deteriorated morale was obvious when no one volunteered to stay late.
- worsen
More direct and informal; can describe sudden as well as gradual change ('the weather worsened suddenly').
- decline
Focuses on a measurable downward trend, often in numbers or quality ('the company's profits declined').
- degenerate
Stronger and more dramatic; suggests a return to a lower, often primitive or morally degraded state ('the debate degenerated into shouting').
- decay
Describes physical breakdown, especially of organic matter or structures ('the wooden fence began to decay').
文法句型
deteriorate + adverb of degree
deteriorate + into + [state]
deteriorated + noun (participial adjective)
用法筆記
Frequently used in the past-participle form as an adjective before a noun (a deteriorated condition, deteriorated infrastructure). Unlike worsen, deteriorate usually implies that something was once adequate or good and has since declined — it carries a connotation of a process over time, not an instant change.