| 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: | damage |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | cause injury, loss |
Synonyms: |
abuse, bang up, batter, bleach, blight, break, burn, contaminate, corrode, corrupt, crack, cripple, deface, defile, dirty, discolor, disfigure, disintegrate, dismantle, fade, gnaw, harm, hurt, impair, incapacitate, infect, injure, lacerate, maim, maltreat, mangle, mar, mutilate, pollute, ravage, rot, ruin, rust, scathe, scorch, scratch, smash, split, spoil, stab, stain, tamper with, tarnish, tear, undermine, vitiate, weaken, wear away, wound, wreak havoc on, wreck, wrong |
Antonyms: |
benefit, bless, enhance, favor, fix, improve, mend, perfect, repair |
| 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: | decrease |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | grow less or make less |
Synonyms: |
abate, calm down, check, contract, crumble, curb, curtail, cut down, decay, decline, degenerate, depreciate, deteriorate, devaluate, die down, diminish, droop, drop, drop off, dry up, dwindle, ease, ebb, evaporate, fade, fall off, lessen, let up, lighten, lose edge, lower, modify, narrow down, peter out, quell, quiet, reduce, restrain, run low, settle, shrink, shrivel, sink, slack off, slacken, slash, slow down, slump, soften, subside, tail off, wane, waste, weaken, wear away, wear down, wither |
Antonyms: |
add, develop, enlarge, expand, grow, increase, raise |
| Main Entry: | deteriorate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | decay, degenerate |
Synonyms: |
adulterate, alloy, be worse for wear, become worse, break, corrode, corrupt, crumble, debase, debilitate, decline, decompose, degrade, deprave, depreciate, descend, disimprove, disintegrate, ebb, fade, fail, fall apart, flag, go downhill, go to pieces, go to pot, go to the dogs, hit the skids, impair, injure, languish, lapse, lessen, lose it, lose quality, lower, mar, pervert, regress, retrograde, retrogress, rot, sink, skid, slide, spoil, undermine, vitiate, weaken, wear away, worsen |
| Notes: | to degenerate means 'to decline in value, move lower on a scale' but to deteriorate means 'to worsen, to become lowered, or be reduced in value'; degenerate pertains more to character and virtue while deteriorate is more about loss of strength or vitality |
Antonyms: |
build, construct, develop, get better, improve |
| Main Entry: | die |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | wither, dwindle |
Synonyms: |
abate, bate, break down, crumble, decay, decline, degenerate, deteriorate, dilapidate, diminish, disappear, droop, ease off, ebb, end, expire, fade, fade away, fade out, fail, fall, fizzle out, go bad, go downhill, halt, lapse, let up, lose power, melt away, moderate, molder, pass, peter out, rankle, recede, retrograde, rot, run down, run low, run out, sink, slacken, stop, subside, vanish, wane, weaken, wear away, wilt |
Antonyms: |
develop, flourish, grow, improve |
| Main Entry: | flake |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | peel off |
Synonyms: |
blister, chip, delaminate, desquamate, drop, exfoliate, pare, scab, scale, shed, slice, sliver, trim, wear away |
| Main Entry: | fray |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | shred, come apart |
Synonyms: |
become ragged, become threadbare, chafe, erode, frazzle, fret, ravel, rip, rub, tatter, tear, unravel, wear, wear away, wear thin |
| Main Entry: | fret |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | rub hard |
Synonyms: |
abrade, chafe, corrode, erode, excoriate, fray, gall, riffle, ripple, wear away, wear threadbare |
| Main Entry: | whittle |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | cut away at; reduce |
Synonyms: |
carve, chip, consume, decrease, diminish, eat away, erode, fashion, form, hew, lessen, model, mold, pare, sculpt, shape, shave, trim, undermine, wear away |
Antonyms: |
build, increase |