decayed 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of decayednext
1
as in degenerate
having lost forcefulness, courage, or spirit a candidate who vehemently rejects the idea that liberalism is a decayed political philosophy

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2
as in rotten
having undergone organic breakdown we routinely throw all decayed or unwanted organic matter into our compost heap

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decayed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of decay
1
as in decomposed
to go through decomposition the logs decayed on the rain forest floor the atom of plutonium decayed in the test chamber

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2
as in deteriorated
to become worse or of less value the restaurant's standards for food and service had decayed over the years

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3
as in faded
to lose bodily strength or vigor having reached her 80s, the woman could sense that her body was decaying

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Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for decayed
  1. degenerate
  2. rotten
  3. deteriorated
  4. weak
  5. crumbled
  6. weakened
  7. degraded
  8. disintegrated
Adjective
  • Ammon did appear tempted to talk the walk in Portland, to become the Mormon cowboy philosopher king wandering a degenerate realm of an ailing Republic, but by now time was in extremely short supply.
    Matt Thompson, SPIN, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Or have his years in finance scrambled his brain and turned him into a degenerate gambler, both at the office and outside it?
    Zachary Siegel, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2024
Definition of degenerate
Adjective
  • Others rely on odor, such as predator urine, that frightens them away from the area or a bad smell from rotten eggs that simply discourages them.
    Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Nov. 2024
  • The two of them are on the world’s most rotten ship and must go down together.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2024
Definition of rotten
Verb
  • Conditions had deteriorated overnight when the roof of a nearby mine collapsed.
    Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 6 Dec. 2024
  • Despite their durability, early diamond bits often deteriorated quickly under the severe conditions of geothermal sites—hot, hard rock and high temperatures posed substantial challenges.
    Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 5 Dec. 2024
Definition of deteriorated
Adjective
  • Capasa noted that a negative third quarter impacted by weak internal demand, the slowdown of purchases from Chinese customers and overall geopolitical instability kept worsening the cautious scenario already registered in the first half of the year.
    Sandra Salibian, WWD, 11 Dec. 2024
  • Scene-to-scene continuity is typically weak and telling.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of weak
Verb
  • Assad's Baathist dictatorship, seemingly unassailable for decades, has crumbled.
    Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2024
  • Rhee's grip on power ultimately crumbled under the weight of nationwide demonstrations, forcing him to resign.
    Mark R. Weaver, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024
Definition of crumbled
Verb
  • With Assad gone and Iran weakened, new commercial routes, reconstruction opportunities, and trade corridors beckon.
    Guney Yildiz, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
  • His party holds a commanding majority in El Salvador's and with his opponents politically weakened, there's little standing in the way of his mining agenda.
    Jesus Mesa, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
Definition of weakened
Adjective
  • The novel stirred public outrage over the degraded state of the cathedral.
    Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2024
  • Bon first garnered attention with Not a Cornfield, a 2005-2006 work that took a 32-acre plot of land in downtown LA, and grew a full seasonal crop of corn, as a way to take a degraded unproductive piece of land and demonstrate its fecundity and potential for transformation.
    Tom Teicholz, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
Definition of degraded
Verb
  • Simmer for 5-7 minutes until the berries have disintegrated into seeds.
    Emily Price, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
  • In January 1986, the space shuttle Challenger disintegrated in the sky, stunning spectators watching at Cape Canaveral and schoolchildren tuned in to live broadcasts—and, soon, the whole nation.
    The Atlantic, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2024
Definition of disintegrated
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Thesaurus Entries Near decayed

decay

decayed

decaying

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Cite this Entry

“Decayed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decayed. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on decayed

Nglish: Translation of decayed for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of decayed for Arabic Speakers

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