decay

英 [dɪ'keɪ] 美 [dɪ'keɪ]

• v. (使)衰退；(使)腐败；(使)腐烂
• n. 衰退；腐烂；腐败

双解释义

n. (名词)

1. [U]腐烂；腐朽

   the process or result of being destroyed by natural causes or by not being cared for

2. [U](社会、机构、制度等的)衰败，衰退

   the gradual destruction of a society, an institution, a system, etc.

v. (动词)

1. vt. & vi. (使)腐烂,(使)腐朽

   make or become bad

2. vi. 衰败,衰退,衰落

   fall to a lower or worse state;decline

详尽释义

v. 动词

1. 衰减，衰减到
2. 腐朽，腐烂，朽
3. 衰弱，衰退，衰落，衰颓，衰败，破败
4. 消瘦，憔悴
5. 凋谢，枯
6. 衰变
7. 使腐朽，使腐烂，使腐坏，使朽坏
8. 使蛀坏，蛀蚀
9. 使衰退，使衰弱

n. 名词

1. 衰退，衰微，衰弱，衰败
2. 蜕变
3. 腐烂，腐朽，朽
4. 人造卫星重返大气层的日期
5. 衰减
6. 【无线电】衰变
7. 分解，瓦解，解体
8. 蛀牙
9. 腐败、衰退的状态

英英释义

Noun:

1. the process of gradually becoming inferior

2. a gradual decrease; as of stored charge or current

3. the organic phenomenon of rotting

4. an inferior state resulting from the process of decaying;

   "the corpse was in an advanced state of decay"
   "the house had fallen into a serious state of decay and disrepair"
   

5. the spontaneous disintegration of a radioactive substance along with the emission of ionizing radiation

Verb:

1. lose a stored charge, magnetic flux, or current;

   "the particles disintegrated during the nuclear fission process"
   

2. fall into decay or ruin;

   "The unoccupied house started to decay"
   

3. undergo decay or decomposition;

   "The body started to decay and needed to be cremated"
   

例句

用作动词 (v.)

1. Naomi: Your entire body is begining to decay.
   直美:你的整个身体都在衰退。
2. What made the Roman Empire decay?
   罗马帝国为何衰亡？
3. The dampness of the climate decayed the books.
   气候潮湿，把书都霉坏了。
4. The vegetables have begun to decay.
   那些蔬菜已开始腐烂。

用作名词 (n.)

1. His mental decay is distressing.
   他的智力衰退令人苦恼。
2. Bacteria complete the job by causing decay.
   细菌通过引起腐烂而完成这个变化。
3. The dentist could detect no decay in her teeth.
   牙医检查了她的牙，未见有龋齿。

常见句型

用作名词 (n.)

1. The decay of the meat could have been prevented by proper refrigeration.
   如果经过适当的冷藏，这些肉本来不至于腐烂掉。
2. The decay had not proceeded very far.
   腐烂的还不算厉害。
3. The corpse was preserved from decay by embalming.
   尸体用香料涂抹以防腐烂。
4. Dental decay in children in Britain has almost reached epidemic levels.
   在英国，儿童蛀牙之普遍几乎达到了流行病的程度。
5. Neglect has accelerated this house's decay.
   这栋房子因没有人管理而加快损坏。
6. That university has fallen into decay in the last 50 years.
   那所大学在过去的50年逐渐没落了。
7. The buildings had started to fall into decay.
   建筑物开始衰败。
8. This industry has been in decay for some time.
   这一工业进入衰败期已有一段时间。

用作动词 (v.)

用作不及物动词

S+～(+A)

1. The cabbages had already started to decay.
   卷心菜已经开始烂了。
2. They claimed that the plastics wouldn't decay if they were buried.
   他们声称塑料被埋起来就不会腐烂。
3. Facilities built in the 1960s have started to decay.
   建于20世纪60年代的设施开始损坏了。
4. The role of the extended family has been decaying for some time.
   大家庭的作用已开始在一段时间内有所减退。
5. The human world, being what it is, could only decay in the course of time.
   人类的世界，就其现状而言，最终非衰败不可。

用作及物动词

S+ ～+n./pron.

1. Pollution has decayed the surface of the stonework on the front of the cathedral.
   污染已腐蚀了教堂前部的石头雕塑。

其他

1. She smelt the unpleasantly sweet smell of decaying meat.
   她闻到了肉类腐烂发出的变质臭味。

经典引文

• If thy brother bee waxen poore, and fallen in decay with thee.

  出自：Bible (AV): Leviticus

• The decay of our civilization,..a break-down of social structures and..a drying-up of the emotional springs of life.

  出自： R. G. Collingwood

• Ancient..families..decayed..into the humble vale of life.

  出自： Sir W. Scott

• Impoverished widows and spinsters of the middle classes..were officially described as 'decayed gentlewomen'.

  出自： John Gloag

词汇搭配

用作名词 (n.)

形容词+～

• bacterial decay 细菌性腐烂
• creeping political decay 政治上的逐渐腐败
• dental decay 牙齿龋蚀
• mental decay 智力衰退
• moral decay 道德沦丧
• premature decay 早衰
• radioactive decay 放射衰败

名词+～

• tooth decay 牙齿龋蚀

词语用法

v. (动词)

1. decay的基本意思是通过化学变化而“(使)腐烂,(使)腐朽”。可用来比喻因体力、精力、活力或影响力等的丧失而“衰败,衰退,衰落”至一个较原来低或差的状态,此时只用作不及物动词。

词义辨析

rot，decay，decompose

• 这些动词均有“烂、腐烂”之意。
• rot指蔬菜水果或肉类的分解、腐烂。
• decay通常指事物（国家或人）由盛转衰。
• decompose侧重指动物或植物类物体由于内部组织的分解而导致的腐烂过程。

词源解说

• ☆ 15世纪晚期进入英语，直接源自古法语的decair，意为烂掉。

近反义词

【近义词】

• rot
• spoil

【反义词】

• flourish
• grow
• progress