| Main Entry: | backslide |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | go astray |
Synonyms: |
apostatize, deviate, fall from grace, lapse, leave the straight and narrow, relapse, revert, sin, slip |
| Main Entry: | decline |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | lessen, become less |
Synonyms: |
abate, backslide, cheapen, decay, decrease, degenerate, depreciate, deteriorate, diminish, disimprove, disintegrate, droop, drop, dwindle, ebb, fade, fail, fall, fall off, flag, go downhill, go to pot, go to the dogs, hit the skids, languish, lapse, lose value, lower, pine, recede, relapse, retrograde, return, revert, rot, sag, settle, shrink, sink, slide, subside, wane, weaken, worsen |
| Notes: | one declines (or accepts) something that is offered; one refuses (or agrees) to accept something offered |
Antonyms: |
improve, increase, rise |
| Main Entry: | degenerate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | decay, deteriorate |
Synonyms: |
backslide, come apart at seams, corrode, corrupt, decline, decrease, deprave, descend, die on vine, disimprove, disintegrate, fall off, go downhill, go to pieces, go to the dogs, lapse, lessen, regress, retrogress, return, revert, rot, sink, slip, vitiate, worsen |
Antonyms: |
develop, improve |
| Main Entry: | fail |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | be unsuccessful |
Synonyms: |
abort, back wrong horse, backslide, be defeated, be demoted, be found lacking, be in vain, be ruined, blunder, break down, come to naught, come to nothing, decline, deteriorate, fall, fall flat, fall short, fall through, fizzle, flop, flounder, fold, founder, go astray, go down swinging, go down, go downhill, go up in smoke, go wrong, hit bottom, hit the skids, lose control, lose out, lose status, meet with disaster, miscarry, miss, miss the boat, play into, run aground, slip, turn out badly |
Antonyms: |
accomplish, achieve, earn, gain, merit, obtain, prosper, reach, succeed, win |
| Main Entry: | fall |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | descend; become lower |
Synonyms: |
abate, backslide, be precipitated, break down, buckle, cascade, cave in, collapse, crash, decline, decrease, depreciate, diminish, dip, dive, drag, droop, drop down, dwindle, ease, ebb, flag, flop, fold up, go down, gravitate, hit the dirt, keel over, land, lapse, lessen, nose-dive, pitch, plummet, plunge, recede, regress, relapse, settle, sink, slip, slope, slump, spin, stumble, subside, take a header, tip over, topple, totter, trail, trip, tumble, wane |
Antonyms: |
ascend, climb, go up, rise, scale |
| Main Entry: | lapse |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | become void; fall back into previous pattern |
Synonyms: |
apostatize, backslide, become obsolete, cease, decline, degenerate, descend, deteriorate, die, elapse, end, expire, go by, pass, recede, recidivate, relapse, retrograde, return, revert, run out, slide, slip, subside, terminate, weaken |
Antonyms: |
continue, go on, restart |
| Main Entry: | regress |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | return to earlier way of doing things |
Synonyms: |
backslide, degenerate, deteriorate, ebb, fall away, fall back, fall off, go back, lapse, lose ground, recede, relapse, retreat, retrogress, revert, roll back, sink, throw back, turn back |
Antonyms: |
develop, grow, progress |
| Main Entry: | relapse |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | deteriorate, weaken |
Synonyms: |
backslide, be overcome, be overtaken, degenerate, fade, fail, fall, fall back, lapse, recidivate, regress, retrogress, revert, sicken, sink, slide back, slip back, suffer, turn back, worsen |
Antonyms: |
get better, heal, progress, strengthen |
| Main Entry: | revert |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | return to an earlier, less-developed condition |
Synonyms: |
about-face, backslide, change, come back, decline, degenerate, deteriorate, fall off the wagon, flip-flop, go back, hark back, inverse, invert, lapse, react, recrudesce, recur, regress, relapse, resume, retrograde, retrogress, return, take up where left off, throw back, transpose, turn, turn back |
Antonyms: |
develop, grow, progress |
| Main Entry: | sin |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | commit illegal or immoral action |
Synonyms: |
backslide, break commandment, break law, cheat, commit crime, deviate, do wrong, err, fall, fall from grace, go astray, lapse, live in sin, misbehave, misconduct, offend, sow wild oats, stray, take the primrose path, transgress, trespass, wallow in the mire, wander |
Antonyms: |
behave, comply, obey |