as in deterioration
a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body
the decaying of the bone mass that is so regrettably common in elderly women
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in rotting
to go through decomposition
the logs decayed on the rain forest floor the atom of plutonium decayed in the test chamber
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deteriorating
to become worse or of less value
the restaurant's standards for food and service had decayed over the years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in fading
to lose bodily strength or vigor
having reached her 80s, the woman could sense that her body was decaying
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in ramshackle
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in dying
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of decaying
Anna Clark, ProPublica, 18 Sep. 2025
At various points along that decaying value chain, Carr has a lot of power.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Each week, distinguished academics, activists, and media professionals join forces — sometimes unknowingly — to help the Chinese Communist Party portray the United States as a decaying empire in contrast to an ascendant China.
—Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 17 Sep. 2025
For a time, the mantle would get hotter, since the shell around it would trap heat generated by radioactively decaying compounds inside it.
—Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Colorful spots on Cheyava Falls contain the mineral greigite, which some microbes on Earth excrete, and vivianite, which is often found around decaying organic matter.
—David W. Brown, New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2025
On Earth, vivianite often forms in environments with lots of decaying organic matter, while certain microbes that use sulfate for energy can produce greigite.
—Amy J. Williams, The Conversation, 12 Sep. 2025
On Earth, vivianite is frequently found in peat bogs and around decaying organic matter—another item on the microbes’ menu.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
On Earth, Vivianite is found in sediments, peat bogs and around decaying organic matter, while some forms of microbial life can produce greigite.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Communities that end fluoridation will see more decaying teeth, according to Margherita Fontana, a professor at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.
—Anna Clark, ProPublica, 18 Sep. 2025
At various points along that decaying value chain, Carr has a lot of power.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Each week, distinguished academics, activists, and media professionals join forces — sometimes unknowingly — to help the Chinese Communist Party portray the United States as a decaying empire in contrast to an ascendant China.
—Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 17 Sep. 2025
For a time, the mantle would get hotter, since the shell around it would trap heat generated by radioactively decaying compounds inside it.
—Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Colorful spots on Cheyava Falls contain the mineral greigite, which some microbes on Earth excrete, and vivianite, which is often found around decaying organic matter.
—David W. Brown, New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2025
On Earth, vivianite often forms in environments with lots of decaying organic matter, while certain microbes that use sulfate for energy can produce greigite.
—Amy J. Williams, The Conversation, 12 Sep. 2025
On Earth, vivianite is frequently found in peat bogs and around decaying organic matter—another item on the microbes’ menu.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
On Earth, Vivianite is found in sediments, peat bogs and around decaying organic matter, while some forms of microbial life can produce greigite.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decaying
Noun
-
Biglari was particularly critical of the company’s store-level deterioration.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
18 Sep. 2025
-
While StubHub stock could rise at the IPO – especially if the offering is oversubscribed – consumer backlash, regulatory pressure, competitive threats, and profitability deterioration make $STUB particularly risky.—
Peter Cohan,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Their investigation leads them to the rotting corpse of their old neighbor Patty Metzger (a great name for a character whose moniker will hang over the rest of the film), who disappeared years ago.—
Sam Bodrojan,
IndieWire,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The vehicle was impounded last week after being abandoned in the Hollywood Hills, where neighbors complained of a rotting smell.—
Andrew Flanagan,
Variety,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The designation reflects the deteriorating relations between the United States and one of its closest Latin American allies.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Sep. 2025
-
As Sweet noted, elevated inflation and deteriorating labor market conditions typically call for conflicting monetary responses.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But with its novelty fading and political scrutiny mounting, its long-term future in America is far from secure.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The sturdy plastic housings resist fading and cracking and are brown in color to blend with most outdoor surfaces.—
Miles Walls,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The Extra-Terrestrial, but technology — as Spielberg frames it through Elliott’s eyes — is a kind of ramshackle magic that offers the promise of love and transcendence.—
Jeremy Dauber,
HollywoodReporter,
31 July 2025
-
On a May morning in 2012, a ramshackle walkway at a Southeast Austin apartment complex collapsed.—
Ella McCarthy,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
Noun
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To determine if a root canal is needed, dentists conduct a thorough exam, often with X-rays, to evaluate decay, damage and the tooth’s internal condition.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Its alignment with figures like North Korea’s Kim Jong Un symbolizes the isolation and reputational decay of a regime that relies on coercion rather than consent.—
Ken Silverstein,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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So when a redwood falls and begins decomposing, its massive trunk, branches, and bark break down over many, many years.—
Greg Sullivan,
AFAR Media,
15 Sep. 2025
-
O’Steen bludgeoned Marissa Grimes, dug a shallow grave for her under his house in west Fort Worth and for 10 days lived above where police later sawed open the floor to expose Grimes’ decomposing 135-pound body, prosecutors have argued that the evidence shows.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In just a few days, the central bank is expected to lower interest rates for the first time since December to shore up America’s crumbling labor market.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
-
The film, based on a novel by Karina Sainz Borgo, stars Natalia Reyes as a woman forced to grapple with the death of her mother against the backdrop of a crumbling city and a gang that has overtaken her apartment building.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decaying. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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