English Reference
Noun

deterioration

n. uncountable
B2 Upper Intermediate US /dɪˈtɪɹiɝˌeɪʃən/ UK /dɪtˌiəɹiəɹˈeɪʃən/ de·te·ri·o·ra·tion UK spelling deteriorations

n.the process of becoming worse in quality or condition. You use this word when something gradually loses its value, strength, or health.

n.the process of becoming progressively worse in quality, value, or condition; decline.


SIMPLE

The deterioration of the old bridge worried the town council.

CONTEXTUAL

Doctors noted a rapid deterioration in his health after the surgery.

COMPLEX

The slow deterioration of the manuscript's ink made it nearly impossible to read the final chapter without special lighting.

At first, I failed to recognise the significance of the deterioration in my violin technique.

The Guardian· 15 Aug 2026

We have not found measurable acceleration of rock deterioration linked to current pollution.

Phys.org· 26 Aug 2026

Borrowed from French détérioration; morphologically deteriorate + -ion.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated