degeneration

noun/dɪˌdʒɛnəˈreɪʃən/

Frequency rank: #11,476 of 20,003 in the WORDED list (wordfreq data)

Meaning

a gradual decline into a worse or less functional state.

Illustration for the English word “degeneration”

Example sentence

Years of poor diet and lack of exercise led to gradual degeneration of his joints.

Synonyms & related words

More words in ranks 11,401–11,500