verb (used with or without object), de·te·ri·o·rat·ed, de·te·ri·o·rat·ing.
- to make or become worse or inferior in character, quality, value, etc.
- to disintegrate or wear away.
verb
- to make or become worse or lower in quality, value, character, etc; depreciate
- (intr) to wear away or disintegrate
1640s (as a past participle adjective, 1570s), from Late Latin deterioratus, past participle of deteriorare “get worse, make worse,” from Latin deterior “worse, lower, inferior, meaner,” contrastive of *deter “bad, lower,” from PIE *de-tero-, from demonstrative stem *de- (see de). Originally transitive in English; intransitive sense is from 1758. Related: Deteriorated; deteriorating.
v.
- To grow worse in function or condition.
- To weaken or disintegrate.