Decaying — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun adjective /di-ˈkā/ de·cay

Meaning & Definition of Decaying

Decaying (verb)

  1. to undergo decomposition
  2. to decline in health, strength, or vigor
  3. to fall into ruin

Decaying (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body

    "the decaying of the bone mass that is so regrettably common in elderly women"

    similar: debilitation, decay, declension, decline, degeneration, descent, deterioration, ebbing, enfeeblement, weakening
    related: atrophy, exhaustion, drooping, flagging, limping, regression, relapse, setback
    opposite: comeback, improvement, rally, recovery, recuperation, rehabilitation, revitalization, snapback
    near: invigoration, strengthening, progress, rejuvenation, rejuvenescence

Decaying (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in rickety, ramshackle

    similar: deteriorated, deteriorating, rackety, ramshackle, rattletrap, rickety, tumbledown, abandoned, unkept, desolate, forlorn, godforsaken, broken-down, decrepit, tired, worn-out, bedraggled, dingy, ragged, tattered, broken, damaged, destroyed, harmed, hurt, impaired, injured, ruined, wrecked, beat-up, bombed-out, dilapidated, dog-eared, down-at-the-heels, dumpy, grungy, mangy, mean, miserable, moth-eaten, neglected, ratty, run-down, scrubby, scruffy, seedy, shabby, sleazy, tacky, tatterdemalion, tatty, threadbare, timeworn
    opposite: brand-new, fresh, new, cared-for, kept-up, maintained, mended, patched, rebuilt, reconstructed, smart, spiffy, spruce

  2. as in dying, declining

    similar: declining, dying, failing, waning, overrefined, precious, debilitated, enervate, enervated, enfeebled, feeble, frail, languid, sapped, soft, wasted, weak, weakened, wimpy, decadent, decayed, degenerate, effete, overripe, washed-up, dissolute, immoral, debased, debauched, degraded, demoralized, depraved, dissipated

Decaying (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to go through decomposition

    "the logs decayed on the rain forest floor"

    "the atom of plutonium decayed in the test chamber"

    similar: breaking down, corrupting, decomposing, disintegrating, festering, fouling, moldering, molding, perishing (chiefly British), putrefying, rotting, spoiling, falling apart, going to seed
    related: souring, turning, turning off (British), contaminating, defiling, polluting, tainting, addling, curdling, fermenting, mortifying, rusting, crumbling, declining, degenerating, descending, deteriorating, dilapidating, sinking, withering
    near: aging, developing, growing, maturing, ripening, refreshing, renewing, restoring, cleansing, purifying, assembling, composing, integrating, ameliorating, bettering, improving, meliorating

  2. to become worse or of less value

    "the restaurant's standards for food and service had decayed over the years"

    similar: atrophying, crumbling, declining, degenerating, descending, deteriorating, devolving, ebbing, regressing, retrograding, rotting, sinking, worsening, going to pot, going to seed
    related: abating, de-escalating, diminishing, downsizing, dwindling, receding, waning, breaking down, corrupting, decomposing, degrading, dilapidating, disintegrating, moldering, putrefying, souring, spoiling, lessening, lowering, reducing, debilitating, undermining, drooping, failing, falling, flagging, lagging, languishing, running down, sagging, slipping, wasting (away), weakening, wilting
    opposite: ameliorating, improving, meliorating
    near: bettering, upgrading, enhancing, enriching, fortifying, heightening, intensifying, strengthening, advancing, developing, marching, proceeding, progressing

  3. to lose bodily strength or vigor

    "having reached her 80s, the woman could sense that her body was decaying"

    similar: drooping, emaciating, fading, failing, flagging, going, lagging, languishing, sagging, sinking, wasting (away), weakening, wilting, withering
    related: breaking down, wearing out, yielding, degenerating, deteriorating, rotting, running down
    near: convalescing, rallying, rebounding, recovering, recuperating, gaining

Related Entry: Decay (verb)

Decay is a different word from Decaying. The synonyms below are for decay, not for decaying.

  1. to go through decomposition

    "the logs decayed on the rain forest floor"

    "the atom of plutonium decayed in the test chamber"

    similar: break down, corrupt, decompose, disintegrate, fester, foul, mold, molder, perish (chiefly British), putrefy, rot, spoil, fall apart, go to seed
    related: sour, turn, turn off (British), contaminate, defile, pollute, taint, addle, curdle, ferment, mortify, rust, crumble, decline, degenerate, descend, deteriorate, dilapidate, sink, wither
    near: age, develop, grow, mature, ripen, refresh, renew, restore, cleanse, purify, assemble, compose, integrate, ameliorate, better, improve, meliorate

  2. to become worse or of less value

    "the restaurant's standards for food and service had decayed over the years"

    similar: atrophy, crumble, decline, degenerate, descend, deteriorate, devolve, ebb, regress, retrograde, rot, sink, worsen, go to pot, go to seed
    related: abate, de-escalate, diminish, downsize, dwindle, recede, wane, break down, corrupt, decompose, degrade, dilapidate, disintegrate, molder, putrefy, sour, spoil, lessen, lower, reduce, debilitate, undermine, droop, fail, fall, flag, lag, languish, run down, sag, slip, waste (away), weaken, wilt
    opposite: ameliorate, improve, meliorate
    near: better, upgrade, enhance, enrich, fortify, heighten, intensify, strengthen, advance, develop, march, proceed, progress

  3. to lose bodily strength or vigor

    "having reached her 80s, the woman could sense that her body was decaying"

    similar: droop, emaciate, fade, fail, flag, go, lag, languish, sag, sink, waste (away), weaken, wilt, wither
    related: break down, wear out, yield, degenerate, deteriorate, rot, run down
    near: convalesce, rally, rebound, recover, recuperate, gain

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Decaying

The most common words with a similar meaning to Decaying:

Chiefly British: perishing
debilitation, decay, declension, decline, degeneration, descent, deterioration, ebbing, enfeeblement, weakening, deteriorated, deteriorating, rackety, ramshackle, rattletrap, rickety, tumbledown, abandoned, unkept, desolate, forlorn, godforsaken, broken-down, decrepit, tired, worn-out, bedraggled, dingy, ragged, tattered, broken, damaged, destroyed, harmed, hurt, impaired, injured, ruined, wrecked, beat-up

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Decaying

Words with the opposite meaning of Decaying:

comeback, improvement, rally, recovery, recuperation, rehabilitation, revitalization, snapback, brand-new, fresh, new, cared-for, kept-up, maintained, mended, patched, rebuilt, reconstructed, smart, spiffy, spruce, ameliorating, improving, meliorating

Related Words for Decaying

atrophy, exhaustion, limping, regression, relapse, setback, souring, turning, turning off, contaminating, defiling, polluting, tainting, addling, curdling, fermenting, mortifying, rusting, dilapidating, abating, de-escalating, diminishing, downsizing, dwindling, receding, degrading, lessening, lowering, reducing, debilitating

Near Antonyms of Decaying

invigoration, strengthening, progress, rejuvenation, rejuvenescence, aging, developing, growing, maturing, ripening, refreshing, renewing, restoring, cleansing, purifying, assembling, composing, integrating, bettering, upgrading, enhancing, enriching, fortifying, heightening, intensifying, advancing, marching, proceeding, progressing, convalescing

Word Forms of Decaying

Inflections: decayed, decays

Derived words: decayer (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Decaying

Middle English, from Anglo-French decaïr, from Late Latin decadere to fall, sink, from Latin de- + cadere to fall chance

First known use: 15th centuryi

Frequently Asked Questions about Decaying

What does "Decaying" mean?

"Decaying" means to undergo decomposition. As an a verb, a noun and an adjective, it is defined as: to undergo decomposition. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Decaying"?

Other words for "Decaying" include debilitation, decay, declension, decline, degeneration, descent, deterioration and ebbing. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Decaying" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Decaying"?

There are 167 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Decaying". Common alternatives include debilitation, decay, declension, decline, degeneration, descent, deterioration, ebbing, enfeeblement and weakening.

What is the opposite of "Decaying"?

Antonyms of "Decaying" include comeback, improvement, rally, recovery, recuperation, rehabilitation, revitalization and snapback. Near antonyms include invigoration, strengthening, progress and rejuvenation.

How do you use "Decaying" in a sentence?

Examples of "Decaying" in a sentence: "the decaying of the bone mass that is so regrettably common in elderly women"; "the logs decayed on the rain forest floor"; "the atom of plutonium decayed in the test chamber".

Is "Decaying" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Decaying" can be used as a verb, a noun and an adjective, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Decaying"?

"Decaying" is pronounced /di-ˈkā/ and divided into syllables as de·cay.

What is the origin of the word "Decaying"?

"Decaying" comes from Middle English, from Anglo-French decaïr, from Late Latin decadere to fall, sink, from Latin de- + cadere to fall chance. First known use: 15th centuryi.