Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
to deteriorate
English answer:
to become/get worse
Added to glossary by
Peter Coles
Feb 28, 2003 14:30
21 yrs ago
English term
to deteriorate
English
Other
Government / Politics
politics
Does this have a negative connotation, meaning that if relations deteriorate, they become worse with a grain of anger, not just less vibrant? Does 'The relations have slackened' mean the same as 'The relations have deteriorated'?
Responses
Responses
6 mins
Selected
Become worse
Thise always almost has a negative sense and 'become worse' can invariably be used as a synonym.
'The relations have slackened' is an odd phrase. Not something that I'd imagine myself saying, and when I analyse it, it seems to have several interpretations. Nevertheless, overall it would seem to move in the same direction as deteriorate, but with less force / negativity.
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Note added at 2003-02-28 14:38:04 (GMT)
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Ouch. Let\'s start that \'This almost always ...\'
Ahhh, the race to be first ...
'The relations have slackened' is an odd phrase. Not something that I'd imagine myself saying, and when I analyse it, it seems to have several interpretations. Nevertheless, overall it would seem to move in the same direction as deteriorate, but with less force / negativity.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-02-28 14:38:04 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Ouch. Let\'s start that \'This almost always ...\'
Ahhh, the race to be first ...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks, Peter."
+2
4 mins
to grow worse; to degenerate, to weaken, to disintegrate, to decay
To slacken means to become less vigorous. It is not as bad as to deteriorate, which usually means to go from bad to worse.
Fuad
Fuad
Reference:
5 mins
it's definitely negative. Means there is a threat they could break off.
in my understanding.
15 mins
Joseph Milanes Rosacena
Native in English
&
English
Culture-oriented translations
Native in: Tagalog 
, English
Works in: Spanish to Tagalog, Spanish to English, English to Tagalog, and 6 more.
to make or become worse or lower in quality, value, character, etc.; depreciate.
This is the definition of the term. It's different from slacken since it involves "degradation" of quality, value while slacken only involves a "loosening", getting apart in relationship but there's no negative connotation. Deteriorate on the other hand can have a negative meaning.
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