Showing results for degenerating.

degenerating

VERB

decay, deteriorate

Synonyms

STRONGEST

descend disintegrate lapse lessen regress revert worsen

STRONG

backslide corrode corrupt decline decrease deprave retrogress return rot sink slip vitiate

WEAK

come apart at seams die on vine disimprove fall off go downhill go to pieces go to the dogs

Antonyms

STRONGEST

develop grow increase progress

STRONG

aid build help improve rise

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Not to get too philosophical, but everything alive is degenerating.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

“All of this has been degenerating for a long time,” Melgar said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 18, 2025

Finally, they showed that after actually damaging olfactory neurons, the ensheathing glia could not remove the degenerating axons in the flies on the high sugar diet because their Draper levels did not increase.

From Science Daily • Nov. 7, 2023

“The idea that the Y is still degenerating and destined to disappear is really scotched by this.”

From Science Magazine • Aug. 23, 2023

There was a genial light and vivacity about them; an endless variety of moods, never degenerating into ill-temper; a pleasant union of shrewdness, simplicity, and originality, which lent a great charm to their daily intercourse.

From Daisy Burns (Volume 1) by Kavanagh, Julia