decay 1 of 2

noun

Definition of decaynext
1
as in deterioration
a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body middle-aged people who fervently hope that daily exercise will arrest the physical decay that usually accompanies advancing age

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2
as in decomposition
the process by which dead organic matter separates into simpler substances the cycle by which the decay of dead plants on the forest floor provides soil and nutrients for the next generation of plants

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decay

2 of 2

verb

di-ˈkā How to pronounce decay (audio)
1
as in to rot
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 to deteriorate
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 to fade
to lose bodily strength or vigor having reached her 80s, the woman could sense that her body was decaying

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word decay different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of decay are decompose, putrefy, rot, and spoil. While all these words mean "to undergo destructive dissolution," decay implies a slow change from a state of soundness or perfection.

a decaying mansion

Where would decompose be a reasonable alternative to decay?

While the synonyms decompose and decay are close in meaning, decompose stresses a breaking down by chemical change and when applied to organic matter a corruption.

the strong odor of decomposing vegetation

In what contexts can putrefy take the place of decay?

In some situations, the words putrefy and decay are roughly equivalent. However, putrefy implies the rotting of animal matter and offensiveness to sight and smell.

corpses putrefying on the battlefield

How are the words rot and decompose related as synonyms of decay?

Rot is a close synonym of decompose and often connotes foulness.

fruit was left to rot in warehouses

When is spoil a more appropriate choice than decay?

The meanings of spoil and decay largely overlap; however, spoil applies chiefly to the decomposition of foods.

keep the ham from spoiling

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of decay
Noun
Thenew album finds Hot Chip confronting an increasingly bleak world with a sound that embraces distortion, decay and dissonance without abandoning the communal pleasures at the heart of the band’s music. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 19 Oct. 2026 The commercial benchmark, by comparison, showed continuous performance decay during testing. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Verb
It’s implemented once, in its most generic form, and left to decay. — Vin Sonpal, Forbes.com, 15 Oct. 2026 These decaying satellites follow a similar incident in June, where one of the first batch of Rassvet-3 satellites fell back to Earth. — Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for decay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decay
  1. deterioration
  2. decomposition
  3. rot
  4. deteriorate
  5. fade
  6. weakening
  7. decompose
  8. crumble
Noun
  • International monitors have warned of a deterioration in political rights and civil liberties worldwide.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Milder temperatures and heavy rainstorms have led to more deterioration and flooding on streets and sidewalks.
    — Sabrina Franza, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of deterioration
Noun
  • Investigators found no identification at the scene, and extreme decomposition prevented them from obtaining DNA from the bodies.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • If the soils were not saturated, microbial decomposition would happen too quickly, breaking down organic matter before the thick layers of peat, the signature of boglands, had a chance to form.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of decomposition
Verb
  • On the upside, my compost bin now smells like pumpkin spice rot.
    — Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Systems fail; unanticipated difficulties occur; things break or rot.
    — Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of rot
Verb
  • Netanyahu faces an international arrest warrant, experts have accused Israel of genocide, and Israel’s image has further deteriorated with a spike in settler violence in the occupied West Bank.
    — Josef Federman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Their return on investment becomes clear when conditions deteriorate and the organization is still able to operate, invest and make decisions on its own terms.
    — Erik Clarke, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of deteriorate
Verb
  • That terrible scenario that doesn't easily fade definitely caused everyone to believe Quinn was at it again on Monday night – messing up again, forgetting that the last play was fourth down instead of third down.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Yet, in the urban South, recent linguistic research finds that the drawl’s most salient features are starting to fade on the lips of young speakers.
    — Valerie M. Fridland, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of fade
Noun
  • The hurricane center said the storm's intensity could fluctuate over the next few days but would likely maintain hurricane strength through Thursday, with gradual weakening forecast thereafter.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The networks learn to recognize patterns by strengthening and weakening connections between nodes in response to training data.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of weakening
Verb
  • The coins were originally buried together in a container made of organic material that has since decomposed, archaeologists believe.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Many of the children's bodies were severely decomposed, with only 26 able to be identified, and investigations into the other deaths are ongoing.
    — Jefferson Kahinju Reuters, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of decompose
Verb
  • As ocean levels rise, waves crash farther inland and the coast continues to crumble, Southern California is on track to lose 30 to 70% of its beaches over the next several decades.
    — Blanca Begert, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Jarman pointed out, rightly, that in the 1630s, the walls wouldn’t have been crumbling at all.
    — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of crumble

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Cite this Entry

“Decay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decay. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on decay

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about decay

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