In Orthodox Europe, mass religion seems to have decayed less.
在正教会流行的欧洲地区,集体宗教信仰的影响力似乎衰退得没那么严重。
nTHESAURUS
decay to be slowly destroyed by a natural chemical process – use this especially about natural things such as wood or plants, or about teeth
The leaves decay and enrich the soil.
He had bad breath and decaying teeth.
The fabric slowly began to decay.
rot to decay. Rot is less formal than decay and is more common in everyday English
The fruit was left to rot on the ground.
rotting teeth
Most of the wood under the paint had rotted.
the smell of rotting vegetation (=decaying leaves and plants)
go offBritish EnglishBrE if food goes off, it starts to smell bad and is no longer be safe to eat
I think the milk’s gone off.
The meat smells as if it's gone off.
spoil if food spoils, it starts to decay, so that it is no longer safe to eat. Spoil is more formal and is less common in everyday British English than go off
Food left in the sun will quickly start to spoil.
go mouldyBritish EnglishBrE, moldyAmerican EnglishAmE to begin to have a softgreen or blacksubstancegrowing on the surface of the food, so that it is not good to eat anymore
Ugh, the cheese has gone mouldy!
decompose formal to decay – use this especially about dead plants or flesh
leaves decomposing on the forest floor
putrefy formal to decay and have a very bad smell – use this especially about flesh or plants
After two days, the body was already beginning to putrefy.
putrefying meat
biodegrade to decay naturally into substances that do not harm the environment – use this especially about man-madematerials and chemicals
Unlike many other materials, plastic does not biodegrade.
ADJECTIVE | VERB + DECAY | PREPOSITION | PHRASESADJECTIVE➤rapid迅速腐爛▸➤slow慢慢腐爛▸➤dental, tooth蛀牙▸➤industrial, urban工業衰敗;城市衰落▸➤moral, physical, social道德敗壞;身體衰弱;社會衰落VERB + DECAY➤cause導致腐爛◇Bacteria stick to food debris in the teeth, causing decay.細菌附着在牙縫中的食物殘渣上,導致蛀牙。➤stop阻止衰退◇Without a lot of money, the mayor won't be able to stop urban decay.若沒有大量的資金,市長就無法阻止城市的衰落。➤reverse扭轉頹勢◇This government promises to reverse industrial decay.這屆政府承諾扭轉工業衰退的局面。➤prevent防止腐爛◇The wood is treated with preservative to prevent decay.這塊木頭用防腐劑作過防腐處理。➤fall into陷入衰敗狀態◇old buildings that had fallen into decay日趨破敗的舊建築PREPOSITION➤in decay在衰敗中◇The derelict buildings are the signs of a town in decay.這些荒廢的建築兆示着一個城市的衰落。➤decay in⋯的衰退◇Smoking accelerates decay in the heart and arteries.吸煙加速心臟和動脈的老化。➤decay of⋯的衰敗◇the slow decay of the castle and the surrounding buildings城堡和周圍建築物的緩慢破敗PHRASES➤the process of decay衰退過程▸➤signs of decay腐蝕跡象◇My dentist could not find any signs of decay.牙醫找不到我的牙齒有任何蛀蝕的跡象。➤an odour/odor of decay, a smell of decay, a stench of decay腐爛的臭味◇A smell of decay pervaded the air.空氣中瀰漫着一股腐臭味。➤a state of decay衰敗狀態