Thesaurus: decay

Related headwords

Definitions

1. v. i. To pass gradually from a sound, prosperous, or perfect state, to one of imperfection, adversity, or dissolution; to waste away; to decline; to fail; to become weak, corrupt, or disintegrated; to rot; to perish; as, a tree decays; fortunes decay; hopes decay.
2. v. t. To cause to decay; to impair.
3. v. t. To destroy.
4. n. Gradual failure of health, strength, soundness, prosperity, or of any species of excellence or perfection; tendency toward dissolution or extinction; corruption; rottenness; decline; deterioration; as, the decay of the body; the decay of virtue; the decay of the Roman empire; a castle in decay.
5. n. Destruction; death.
6. n. Cause of decay.
7. n. the process of gradually becoming inferior
8. n. a gradual decrease; as of stored charge or current
9. n. the organic phenomenon of rotting
10. n. an inferior state resulting from the process of decaying
11. n. the spontaneous disintegration of a radioactive substance along with the emission of ionizing radiation
12. v. lose a stored charge, magnetic flux, or current