decay

The natural breakdown of teeth, wood, food, or other living material.

• Sugar can cause tooth decay.
• Moisture encouraged decay in the wooden fence.
• Fungi speed up the decay of fallen leaves.

Similar words: rot, rotting, decomposition

Common phrases: tooth decay, dental decay, wood decay

The gradual process of breaking down or becoming less strong or less in amount.

• The decay happened slowly.
• The graph shows the rate of decay.
• Heat can speed up the decay of some materials.

How to use it: decay of something (We measured the decay of the signal over time.)

Similar words: breakdown, decline

Common phrases: gradual decay, rate of decay, exponential decay

A gradual loss of strength, quality, success, or good condition.

• The city showed signs of decay.
• Years of neglect led to the decay of the building.
• She blamed corruption for the moral decay of society.

How to use it: decay of something (The report describes the decay of public services.); fall into decay (The empty houses fell into decay.)

Similar words: decline, deterioration

Opposites: renewal

Common phrases: urban decay, moral decay, fall into decay

Material that has become damaged and soft through rotting.

• The dentist removed the decay.
• Dark decay filled the hole in the tooth.
• They scraped the soft decay out of the old beam.

Similar words: rot

Common phrases: remove decay, wood decay, full of decay

To break down naturally, becoming damaged, soft, or rotten.

• The fallen fruit began to decay.
• Damp wood decays quickly.
• The leaves had decayed by spring.

Similar words: rot, decompose

Common phrases: decay slowly, begin to decay, decay in soil

To gradually become weaker or worse in condition.

• The empire began to decay.
• Public institutions decayed under weak leadership.
• The abandoned buildings are decaying rapidly.

Similar words: deteriorate, decline

Opposites: improve

Common phrases: decay over time, begin to decay, decay gradually

To slowly become less noticeable or disappear.

• The sound slowly decayed.
• The signal decays as it travels farther.
• The vibration had decayed before we took another reading.

Similar words: fade, diminish

Opposites: intensify

Common phrases: decay away, decay with time, decay rapidly

To make something rot or gradually become damaged.

• Dampness decayed the floorboards.
• Acids can decay teeth over time.
• Years of rain had decayed the exposed beams.

How to use it: decay something (Constant moisture decayed the wooden supports.)

Similar words: rot, damage

Opposites: preserve

Common phrases: decay something, decay the wood