Abate
Storm warnings, toothaches, and playground feuds all do this eventually: lose force without fully disappearing, and you need a verb for that slow letting up.
Learn This WordMeaning
To become less intense or widespread; to subside or die down gradually.
Memory trick
A BATED breath held through the storm: abate = let up and ease off.
Examples
The storm finally abated around midnight, and the streets fell quiet.
He took an aspirin and waited for the headache to abate.
Nothing the manager said could abate the passengers’ anger after the third delay.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Old French abatre "to beat down, fell," from a- "to" + batre "to beat," from Latin battuere.
Usage Notes
Used for storms, pain, noise, anger, and anything that loses force over time rather than stopping at once.
Real-life contexts
Describe weather: "The rain should abate by evening."
Describe pain: "The swelling abated after two days of ice."
Describe tension: "Give them an hour and the outrage will abate."
Common Mistakes
Abate means intensity fading. It does not mean solved, fixed, or ended on command.
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Start LearningQuick Facts
Part of Speech
verb
Difficulty
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