1
degeneration of sth
of 后接发生退化的事物，常用于健康、社会或生物语境。
The degeneration of the old building made it unsafe.
老建筑的退化使它变得不安全。
退化；恶化；堕落
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
退化；恶化；堕落
the process of becoming weaker or worse; decline from a higher to a lower state
The degeneration of the old building made it unsafe.
老建筑的退化使它变得不安全。
恶化或已变得更糟的过程或状态。
The process or state of growing worse, or the state of having become worse.
从较高水平下降到较低水平的过程
the process of declining from a higher to a lower level of effective power or vitality or essential quality
组织或器官活力减弱或异常的状态；以较低级结构替代较高级结构。
That condition of a tissue or an organ in which its vitality has become either diminished or perverted; a substitution of a lower for a higher form of structure.
精神或道德品质的堕落状态
the state of being degenerate in mental or moral qualities
The doctor explained that the degeneration of the cartilage in his knee was causing the pain.
医生解释说，他膝盖软骨的退化正在引起疼痛。
Regular exercise can slow the degeneration of your muscles as you age.
经常锻炼可以减缓肌肉随着年龄增长的退化。
Environmental pollution has led to the degeneration of the coral reefs in this area.
环境污染已导致该地区珊瑚礁的退化。
of 后接发生退化的事物，常用于健康、社会或生物语境。
The degeneration of the old building made it unsafe.
老建筑的退化使它变得不安全。
into 后接退化后的状态，表示从较好情况变成较坏情况。
The degeneration into chaos was quick.
退化为混乱的过程很快。
Not this
The cells are degeneration.
Use this
The cells show degeneration.
degeneration 是名词，不能放在 be 动词后当表语使用；表示“细胞发生退化”时，应让 degeneration 作动词 show 的宾语，写成 show degeneration。
Not this
The degeneration of society to chaos made people anxious.
Use this
The degeneration of society into chaos made people anxious.
表示“退化成/恶化为某种状态”时，degeneration 后接介词 into，不接 to；into 强调进入 chaos 这一更糟糕的状态，而 to 只表示方向。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
黄斑变性
Age-related macular degeneration is a leading cause of vision loss in older adults.
年龄相关性黄斑变性是老年人视力丧失的主要原因。
软骨退化
Cartilage degeneration can cause joint pain and stiffness.
软骨退化会导致关节疼痛和僵硬。
道德沦丧
The novel describes the moral degeneration of a once-respectable family.
这部小说描述了一个曾经体面家庭的道德沦丧。
脂肪变性
Fatty degeneration of the liver is often linked to excessive alcohol consumption.
肝脏脂肪变性常常与过量饮酒有关。
神经元退化
Neuronal degeneration in the brain is associated with Parkinson's disease.
大脑中的神经元退化与帕金森病有关。
Use degeneration naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
把 degeneration 拆着记：里面是 generation（世代），前面 de 像'向下'——世代向下走，就是退化、恶化、堕落。
语域：formal 常见场景：医学研究报告、生物学文献、正式社论或评论 该词通常用于正式或学术语境，多出现在医学、生物学和社会评论中；日常口语中比较少见，可用 get worse 等更口语化的说法替代。
这六个词与 degeneration 一样，重读音节结尾都是 /ˈeɪʃən/，因此押韵。注意拼写中的 -tion 读作 /ʃən/，不要读成 /tɪən/。还要小心形近词 generation /ˌdʒɛnəˈreɪʃən/，它虽然拼写与 degeneration 很像，但重音前的元音是 /ə/，不是 degeneration 中的 /ɝ/。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.