deteriorate
gb/dɪtˈɪɹiɚˌeɪt/ us/dɪtˈɪɹiɚˌeɪt/
B2
Engleză
~ 7200
romlik, hanyatlik, rosszabbodik, ront, károsít
VERB
B2
1
Tipar de utilizare:
[something] deteriorates (over time)
Her eyesight began to deteriorate in her early forties.
A látása a negyvenes évei elején kezdett romlani.
The political situation has deteriorated significantly over the past year.
A politikai helyzet jelentősen romlott az elmúlt évben.
If we do nothing, the building will continue to deteriorate.
Relations between the two countries have deteriorated since the trade dispute.
The quality of the service has deteriorated since the company changed owners.
Exemple pentru cursanți
My grandmother’s health is starting to deteriorate.
A nagymamám egészsége kezd romlani.
The road surface will deteriorate if it is not repaired.
Az útburkolat romlani fog, ha nem javítják ki.
Their friendship deteriorated after the big argument.
The weather quickly deteriorated in the afternoon.
The company’s image deteriorated after the scandal.
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners sometimes say *"become deteriorate"* (e.g., *"His health became deteriorate"*). This is incorrect because *deteriorate* already includes the meaning of *become*; say *"His health deteriorated"* instead. Another mistake is using it too informally where *get worse* would sound more natural in casual conversation.
Sens
to become worse over time
Colocații
health deteriorates
|conditions deteriorate
|relationship deteriorates
|situation deteriorates
|deteriorate rapidly
|deteriorate over time
Sinonime
decline (More general and slightly more common in everyday speech; can sound less serious depending on context.)
|
worsen (Very close in meaning; slightly simpler and more common in conversational English.)
Antonime
improve (Opposite because it describes something becoming better instead of worse.)
|
strengthen (Opposite when talking about conditions or situations becoming more solid or better instead of weaker.)
Teme
daily life
|health
|society
|business
|core_vocabulary
Definiție
To slowly become worse in quality or condition over time.
To gradually become worse in quality, condition, or value.
VERB
C1
2
Tipar de utilizare:
[something] deteriorates [something]
Poor diet and lack of exercise can deteriorate your health over time.
A rossz étrend és a mozgáshiány idővel ronthatja az egészségedet.
Constant exposure to sunlight will deteriorate the color of the fabric.
Az állandó napfény rontani fogja a szövet színét.
Harsh cleaning chemicals may deteriorate the surface of the stone.
Repeated delays will only deteriorate customer trust in the brand.
Pollutants in the air gradually deteriorate the condition of old buildings.
Exemple pentru cursanți
Smoking can deteriorate your lungs.
A dohányzás károsíthatja a tüdődet.
Strong rain can deteriorate the old roof.
Az erős eső ronthatja a régi tető állapotát.
Bad working hours may deteriorate workers’ health.
Salt on the road can deteriorate the car’s metal.
Loud noise can deteriorate your hearing over many years.
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners often overuse the transitive form and say *"deteriorate the situation"* where native speakers more often say *"make the situation worse"* or simply *"the situation deteriorates"*. In many contexts, the intransitive form (*"X deteriorates"*) is more natural.
Sens
to cause something to get worse
Colocații
deteriorate someone’s health
|deteriorate the situation
|policies that deteriorate conditions
|factors that deteriorate performance
Sinonime
damage (More common in everyday speech; often suggests physical harm, while *deteriorate* is more formal and gradual.)
|
degrade (Often used for quality, environment, or materials; can sound more technical or formal than *deteriorate*.)
Antonime
improve (Opposite because it means to make something better, not worse.)
|
enhance (Opposite when talking about increasing the quality or value of something.)
Teme
health
|environment
|business
|core_vocabulary
Definiție
To make something become worse in quality or condition.
To cause something to become worse in quality, condition, or value.
Gramatică
Forma de dicționar
deteriorate
IPA
GB/dɪtˈɪɹiɚˌeɪt/
US/dɪtˈɪɹiɚˌeɪt/
Silabe și accent
de - teri - or - ate (4 silabe)
Stress on 2nd syllable (teri)
Forme ale cuvântului
Verb
- Base: deteriorate
- 3rd Person Singular: deteriorates
- Present Participle: deteriorating
- Past: deteriorated
Familie de cuvinte
Forms
deteriorates
verb
deteriorating
verb
deteriorated
verb
Core family
deterioration
noun C1
Advanced or less common
deteriorative
adjective
Expresii
deteriorate into [something]
1/dɪtˈɪɹiɚˌeɪt ˈɪntu sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
to change into a worse situation
To slowly change into a worse situation or form, usually something more serious or more unpleasant.
Exemple
- The discussion quickly deteriorated into a shouting match.
- What began as a small protest deteriorated into violent clashes with the police.
- Their friendly debate deteriorated into personal attacks.