| Main Entry: | decay |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | deteriorate, crumble |
Synonyms: |
atrophy, be impaired, become contaminated, blight, break up, collapse, corrode, curdle, decline, decompose, defile, degenerate, depreciate, discolor, disintegrate, dissolve, dry-rot, dwindle, fade, fail, get worse, go bad, go to seed, go to the dogs, hit rock bottom, hit the skids, lessen, mildew, mold, molder, mortify, pejorate, perish, pollute, putrefy, putresce, reach depths, rot, sap, shrivel, sicken, sink, slump, spoil, suppurate, turn, wane, waste away, weaken, wear away, wither |
Antonyms: |
build, develop, flourish, germinate, grow, improve, ripen, strengthen |
| Main Entry: | decayed |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | rotten, falling apart |
Synonyms: |
addled, bad, carious, carrion, corroded, decomposed, effete, gangrenous, moldered, overripe, perished, putrefied, putrescent, putrid, rank, riddled, rotted, ruined, spoiled, wasted, withered |
Antonyms: |
developing, flourishing, germinating, growing, improving, ripening |
| Main Entry: | bite |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | corrode, eat away |
Synonyms: |
burn, consume, decay, decompose, deteriorate, dissolve, eat into, engrave, erode, etch, oxidize, rot, rust, scour, sear, slash, smart, sting, tingle, wear away |
| Main Entry: | blight |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | ruin, destroy |
Synonyms: |
annihilate, blast, crush, damage, dash, decay, disappoint, foul up, frustrate, glitch up, injure, mar, mess up*, nip in the bud, nullify, shrivel, spoil, taint, trash*, wither, wreck |
Antonyms: |
aid, bless, guard, help, prosper, protect |
| Main Entry: | consume |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | destroy |
Synonyms: |
annihilate, crush, decay, demolish, devastate, eat up, exhaust, expend, extinguish, lay waste, overwhelm, ravage, raze, ruin, suppress, waste, wreck |
Antonyms: |
build, construct |
| Main Entry: | corrupt |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | adulterated, rotten |
Synonyms: |
altered, contaminated, decayed, defiled, distorted, doctored, falsified, foul, infected, noxious, polluted, putrescent, putrid, tainted |
Antonyms: |
clean, pure, purified, sound, wholesome |
| Main Entry: | corrupt |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | pervert; pollute |
Synonyms: |
abase, abuse, adulterate, animalize, bastardize, blemish, blight, bribe, contaminate, damage, debase, debauch, decay, decompose, deface, defile, deform, degrade, demean, demoralize, deprave, depreciate, despoil, disfigure, disgrace, dishonor, fix, grease palm, harm, hurt, ill-treat, impair, infect, injure, lower, lure, maltreat, mar, mistreat, misuse, outrage, pull down, putrefy, ravage, reduce, rot, ruin, spoil, square, stain, suborn, subvert, taint, undermine, violate, vitiate, warp, waste |
Antonyms: |
better, chasten, cleanse, dignify, improve, purify |
| Main Entry: | crumble |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | break or fall into pieces |
Synonyms: |
break up, collapse, crumb, crush, decay, decompose, degenerate, deteriorate, disintegrate, dissolve, fragment, go to pieces, granulate, grind, molder, perish, powder, pulverize, putrefy, triturate, tumble |
Antonyms: |
build, put together |
| Main Entry: | crumbly |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | brittle |
Synonyms: |
breakable, corroded, crisp, crunchy, decayed, degenerated, deteriorated, deteriorating, disintegrated, eroded, fragile, frail, frangible, friable, oxidized, perishing, powdery, pulverizable, rotted, rotten, rusted, shivery, short, soft, worn |
Antonyms: |
flexible, pliable, soft |
| 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 |