To diminish or impair in quality, character, or value: Time and neglect had deteriorated the property.
INTRANSITIVE VERB:
1. To grow worse; degenerate: The weather deteriorated overnight. His health had deteriorated while he was in prison.2. To weaken or disintegrate; decay: The nation's highways are deteriorating at a rapid pace.
ETYMOLOGY:
Late Latin dterirre, dterirt-, from Latin dterior, worse. See de- in Appendix I.
d
-tîr
-
-r
t
r
