| Main Entry: | worsen |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | diminish, decay |
Synonyms: |
aggravate, corrode, damage, decline, degenerate, depress, descend, deteriorate, disintegrate, exacerbate, fall off, get worse, go downhill, impair, lower, retrograde, retrogress, rot, sink |
Antonyms: |
improve, increase |
| Main Entry: | aggravate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | cause to become worse |
Synonyms: |
complicate, deepen, enhance, exacerbate, exaggerate, heighten, increase, inflame, intensify, magnify, mount, rise, rouse, worsen |
| Notes: | to aggravate is to make something worse, while to exacerbate is to increase something's bitterness or harshness aggravate means 'to add to' an already troublesome or vexing matter or condition while irritate means 'to vex, annoy, or chafe' irritate means 'inflame' (originally 'excite, rouse'); aggravate means 'worsen' |
Antonyms: |
alleviate, help, improve, relieve, soothe |
| Main Entry: | compound |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make difficult; complicate |
Synonyms: |
add to, aggravate, augment, confound, confuse, exacerbate, extend, heighten, intensify, magnify, make complex, make intricate, multiply, worsen |
Antonyms: |
better, make easy, uncomplicate |
| Main Entry: | debase |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | adulterate |
Synonyms: |
abase, animalize, bastardize, bestialize, contaminate, corrupt, damage, defile, depreciate, doctor, dope up, impair, load, pervert, pollute, sophisticate, spoil, taint, vitiate, weight, worsen |
Antonyms: |
clean, clear, enhance, improve, purify |
| 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 |
Antonyms: |
improve, increase, rise |
| Main Entry: | degenerate |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | corrupt, deteriorated |
Synonyms: |
base, debased, debauched, decadent, decayed, degenerated, degraded, demeaned, depraved, dissolute, effete, failing, fallen, flatitious, immoral, infamous, low, mean, miscreant, nefarious, overripe, perverted, retrograde, retrogressive, rotten, sinking, unhealthy, vicious, villainous, vitiated, wicked, worsen |
Antonyms: |
moral, upright, virtuous |
| 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: | depreciate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | devalue, lose value |
Synonyms: |
abate, cheapen, decay, decrease, decry, deflate, depress, deteriorate, devalorize, diminish, downgrade, drop, dwindle, erode, fall, lessen, lower, mark down, reduce, soften, underrate, undervalue, worsen, write down, write off |
Antonyms: |
gain value, increase, overrate, raise, rate |
| 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 |
Antonyms: |
build, construct, develop, get better, improve |
| Main Entry: | disintegrate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | fall apart; reduce to pieces |
Synonyms: |
atomize, break apart, break down, break up, come apart, crumble, decay, decline, decompose, degenerate, deliquesce, descend, detach, dilapidate, disband, disconnect, disimprove, dismantle, disorganize, disperse, disunite, divide, fade away, fall to pieces, molder, pulverize, putrefy, rot, separate, sever, shatter, sink, splinter, spoil, taint, take apart, turn, turn to dust, wash away, wash out, wither, worsen |
Antonyms: |
combine, meld, unite |