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Decay

/dɪˈkeɪ/

The process or result of being gradually decomposed.

Full Dictionary Entry

📖 Definitions of "Decay"

noun

1
The process or result of being gradually decomposed.
2
A deterioration of condition; loss of status or fortune.

verb

1
To deteriorate, to get worse, to lose strength or health, to decline in quality.
"The pair loved to take pictures in the decaying hospital on forty-third street."
2
(of organic material) To rot, to go bad.
"The cat's body decayed rapidly."
3
(of an unstable atom) To change by undergoing fission, by emitting radiation, or by capturing or losing one or more electrons.
4
(of a quantum system) To undergo optical decay, that is, to relax to a less excited state, usually by emitting a photon or phonon.

🔄 Synonyms of "Decay"

8 synonyms found via WordNet and Google Books.

Word	Definition
declinenoun	The act of declining or refusing something.
disintegrationnoun	A process by which anything disintegrates.
disintegrateverb	(intransitive) To fall apart; to break up into parts.
decomposeverb	(transitive) To separate or break down (something) into its components.
delapidateverb	fall into decay or ruin
decompositionnoun	A biological process through which organic material is reduced to e.g. compost.
radioactive decaynoun	(nuclear physics) Any of several processes by which unstable nuclei emit subatomic particles and/or ionizing radiation and disintegrate into one or more other nuclei.
crumbleverb	A dessert of British origin containing stewed fruit topped with a crumbly mixture of fat, flour, and sugar.

💡 Words with a Similar Meaning to "Decay"

Found via reverse dictionary — words that share a conceptual meaning.

Word	Definition
crumblenoun	A dessert of British origin containing stewed fruit topped with a crumbly mixture of fat, flour, and sugar.
declinenoun	The act of declining or refusing something.
disintegrationnoun	A process by which anything disintegrates.
disintegrateverb	(intransitive) To fall apart; to break up into parts.
decomposeverb	(transitive) To separate or break down (something) into its components.
decompositionnoun	A biological process through which organic material is reduced to e.g. compost.
radioactive decaynoun	(nuclear physics) Any of several processes by which unstable nuclei emit subatomic particles and/or ionizing radiation and disintegrate into one or more other nuclei.
delapidateverb	fall into decay or ruin
spoilagenoun	The process of spoiling.
disrepairnoun	The state of being in poor condition, in need of repair.
ruinnoun	(uncountable) Something that leads to serious trouble or destruction.
rotnoun	The process of becoming rotten; putrefaction.
devastationnoun	The act of devastating, or the state of being devastated; a laying waste.
wanenoun	A gradual diminution in power, value, intensity etc.
decadencenoun	The quality of being luxuriously self-indulgent.
weakeningnoun	An instance or process of loss of strength.
degenerationnoun	(uncountable, countable) The process or state of growing worse, or the state of having become worse.
damagenoun	Injury or harm; the condition or measure of something not being intact.
deteriorateverb	(intransitive) To grow worse; to be impaired in quality; to degenerate.
havocnoun	Widespread devastation and destruction.