動詞 deteriorate:

1. become worse or disintegrate
2. grow worse
   同義詞：devolve, drop, degenerate

1. Food is apt to deteriorate in summer.
   食物在夏天容易變質(zhì)。
2. Relation between the two countries have deteriorated sharply in recent week.
   最近幾周那兩個國家間的關(guān)系嚴重惡化了。

de.te.ri.o.rate

v.（動詞）
de.te.ri.o.rat.ed,de.te.ri.o.rat.ing,de.te.ri.o.rates
v.tr.（及物動詞）
To diminish or impair in quality, character, or value:
使惡化：損害或降低（質(zhì)量，性質(zhì)或價值）：
例句：
Time and neglect had deteriorated the property.
時間與忽視使特性惡化

v.intr.（不及物動詞）
To grow worse; degenerate:
惡化：變得更壞；退化：
例句：
The weather deteriorated overnight. His health had deteriorated while he was in prison.
整個晚上，天氣越來越糟。他在獄中時健康已經(jīng)惡化了

To weaken or disintegrate; decay:
削弱或瓦解；衰退：
例句：
The nation`s highways are deteriorating at a rapid pace.
這個國家的高速公路正在迅速衰退

來源：
Late Latin dôteriôr3re dôteriôr3t-
后期拉丁語 dôteriôr3re dôteriôr3t-
from Latin dôterior [worse] * see de-
源自 拉丁語 dôterior [變壞] *參見 de-

【引伸】
dete.riora.tion
n.（名詞）
dete.riora.tive
adj.（形容詞）