degenerare

to degenerate

verb deh-jeh-neh-RAH-reh Rare

Also means

to deteriorate

Usage Note

Degenerare takes essere as its auxiliary in the passato prossimo when used intransitively to describe a worsening process: la situazione è degenerata ('the situation has degenerated'). It is often used for conflicts, health conditions, or social situations that spiral beyond control. The derived noun is degenerazione (f).

Examples

"La discussione è degenerata in rissa."

Natural Translation

The argument degenerated into a brawl.

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