What is another word for decay?
Synonyms for decay
dɪˈkeɪde·cay
This thesaurus page includes all potential synonyms, words with the same meaning and similar terms for the word decay.
English Synonyms and Antonyms
decay
Rot is a strong word, ordinarily esteemed coarse, but on occasion capable of approved emphatic use; as, "the name of the wicked shall rot," Prov. x, 7; decay and decompose are now common euphemisms. A substance is decomposed when resolved into its original elements by any process; it is decayed when resolved into its original elements by natural processes; it decays gradually, but may be instantly decomposed, as water into oxygen and hydrogen; to say that a thing is decayed may denote only a partial result, but to say it is decomposed ordinarily implies that the change is complete or nearly so. Putrefy and the adjectives putrid and putrescent, and the nouns putridity and putrescence, are used almost exclusively of animal matter in a state of decomposition, the more general word decay being used of either animal or vegetable substances.
Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms
decayverb
Synonyms:
decline, wane, sink, dwindle, rot, wither, perish, waste, ebb, decreaseAntonyms:
rise, grow, increase, flourish, luxuriate, vegetate, expand, enlargedecaynoun
Synonyms:
declension, waning, sinking, wasting, decrease, corruption, decadence, putrefaction, rottenness, dry rot, consumption, declineAntonyms:
rise, growth, birth, increase, fertility, exuberance, luxuriance, prosperity
Princeton's WordNet
decaynoun
the process of gradually becoming inferior
Synonyms:
disintegration, decomposition, radioactive decay, declinedecay, declinenoun
a gradual decrease; as of stored charge or current
Synonyms:
disintegration, fall, downslope, descent, radioactive decay, decomposition, declension, decline, declivity, declination, diminutiondecay, decompositionnoun
the organic phenomenon of rotting
Synonyms:
disintegration, chemical decomposition reaction, decomposition, putrefaction, radioactive decay, vector decomposition, decline, rot, rotting, decomposition reactiondecaynoun
an inferior state resulting from the process of decaying
"the corpse was in an advanced state of decay"; "the house had fallen into a serious state of decay and disrepair"
Synonyms:
disintegration, decomposition, radioactive decay, declinedecay, radioactive decay, disintegrationverb
the spontaneous disintegration of a radioactive substance along with the emission of ionizing radiation
Synonyms:
disintegration, decomposition, radioactive decay, decline, annihilation, dissolutiondisintegrate, decay, decomposeverb
lose a stored charge, magnetic flux, or current
"the particles disintegrated during the nuclear fission process"
Synonyms:
break down, break up, moulder, disintegrate, decompose, molder, dilapidate, crumble, rotdecay, crumble, dilapidateverb
fall into decay or ruin
"The unoccupied house started to decay"
Synonyms:
break down, dilapidate, decompose, crumple, disintegrate, tumble, collapse, crumble, fall apartdecayverb
undergo decay or decomposition
"The body started to decay and needed to be cremated"
Synonyms:
crumble, decompose, dilapidate, disintegrate
Matched Categories
Dictionary of English Synonymes
decayverb
Synonyms:
decline, fail, deteriorate, wither, waste, perish, be impaired, waste away, fall into decaydecayverb
Synonyms:
rot, putrefy, be spoileddecaynoun
Synonyms:
decline, decadence, deterioration, degeneracy
Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words
decaynoun
Synonyms:
deterioration, corruption, decline, decadence, senescence, retrogradation, decomposition, caducity, putrefaction, putrescence, rot, eremacausisdecayverb
Synonyms:
decline, retrograde, deteriorate, rot, decompose, putrefy, moulder
PPDB, the paraphrase database
List of paraphrases for "decay":
decomposition, disintegration, rot, decadence, degradation, break-up, decline, breakdown, deterioration, degeneration, decomposing
Usage in printed sourcesFrom:
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Words popularity by usage frequency
ranking | word | |
---|---|---|
#1232 | fall | |
#1980 | waste | |
#3885 | consumption | |
#4933 | decrease | |
#5615 | decline | |
#6904 | corruption | |
#7052 | collapse | |
#7229 | sink | |
#7864 | breakdown | |
#10134 | decay | |
#11185 | degradation | |
#11969 | corrupt | |
#13070 | descent | |
#14415 | wasting | |
#14991 | decomposition | |
#17344 | rot | |
#17507 | dissolution | |
#17934 | tumble | |
#18311 | deterioration | |
#18374 | sinking | |
#21436 | spoil | |
#23078 | degeneration | |
#27826 | perish | |
#29613 | waning | |
#30671 | ebb | |
#30957 | annihilation | |
#35279 | rotting | |
#38113 | disintegration | |
#38177 | declination | |
#40580 | crumble | |
#40780 | decadence | |
#46656 | decompose | |
#49828 | wither | |
#52227 | wane | |
#53466 | diminution | |
#59727 | decomposing | |
#71034 | disintegrate | |
#84405 | dwindle | |
#90318 | moulder | |
#116185 | crumple | |
#116269 | downslope | |
#117285 | molder | |
#117527 | declension | |
#165249 | putrefaction | |
#239639 | rottenness | |
#253199 | declivity |
How to use decay in a sentence?
Government is an evil; it is only the thoughtlessness and vices of men that make it a necessary evil. When all men are good and wise, government will of itself decay.
He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery.
Z-prime is much heavier than a Z particle, something like tens of times the mass, z-prime can decay in a very simple way that yields two very energetic muons, which are basically heavier versions of electrons. If we can detect the muon signature of Z-prime, that would support models that predict the existence of Z-prime.
Without adventure civilization is in full decay.
Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey, where wealth accumulates, and men decay.
Translations for decay
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- تضعضع, تحلل, اضمحلArabic
- влошаване, гния, загнивам, разлагам се, развалям се, разлаганеBulgarian
- rozklad, rozkládat se, hniloba, hnítCzech
- henfaldDanish
- Verwesung, verfallen, verfaulen, verrotten, verderben, verwesen, Verfall, faulen, abklingen, zerfallen, vermodernGerman
- φθοράGreek
- kadukiĝoEsperanto
- deteriorar, pudrirSpanish
- lahoaminen, rapautuminen, heikentyä, rapautua, maatua, mädäntyä, laho, heikkeneminen, rappeutua, heiketä, pilaantua, lahotaFinnish
- décrépitude, pourrirFrench
- meathlaigh, meath, meathlúIrish
- crìonadh, mùthadhScottish Gaelic
- התקלקלHebrew
- क्षयHindi
- szuvasodik, elmállik, romlás, elpusztul, tönkremegy, hanyatlás, pusztulás, korhad, rothadHungarian
- փտել, փչանալArmenian
- kerusakanIndonesian
- dekadoIdo
- imputridireItalian
- 減衰Japanese
- ლპობა, ხრწნა, გაფუჭებაGeorgian
- 썩다Korean
- interitusLatin
- pūtLatvian
- taimate, hanehaneMāori
- nedbrytingNorwegian
- in verval raken, verloederen, slecht worden, vervallen, verrottenDutch
- forfallNorwegian
- gnić, rozkładPolish
- putrefação, decompor-se, apodrecer, estragar, deterioração, apodrecimento, decomposição, deteriorar, putrefazerPortuguese
- гнить, разложение, гниение, упадок, портиться, ухудшаться, разлагаться, распад, спадRussian
- sönderfall, sönderfalla, förfalla, ruttna, förfall, förruttnelse, mattas, försämras, sönderdelas, tackla avSwedish
- ผุThai
- çürümek, fenalaşmakTurkish
- کشیUrdu
- phân hủyVietnamese
- 衰變Chinese
Get even more translations for decay »
Translation
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"decay." Synonyms.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 6 Feb. 2025. <https://www.synonyms.com/synonym/decay>.
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