abate

/əˈbeɪt/ formal

Say it: uh-BATE

1. verb To become less intense, violent, or widespread.
After an hour of heavy rain, the storm finally began to abate.
2. verb In a legal context, to end, nullify, or suppress something, such as a nuisance, a writ, or a lawsuit.
The court ordered the company to abate the noise pollution coming from its factory.
3. verb To reduce in amount, degree, or intensity; to lessen.
The new medication did little to abate the patient's chronic pain.

📖 Seen in the wild

The storm finally began to abate after hours of relentless rain.
collected by @vocablast

✏️ abate in a sentence

We waited for the crowd's excitement to abate before making the announcement.
As the light abated, the colors of the forest grew deeper and richer.
The government's tax incentives are designed to abate the effects of the recession.
His anger, which had been white-hot, slowly abated into a cool resentment.
The legal action was abated because the defendant company filed for bankruptcy.
The public controversy showed no signs of abating, even weeks after the scandal broke.
I took a deep breath, hoping it would abate the feeling of panic.

🔁 Synonyms & antonyms

subside diminish dwindle lessen wane ebb decrease slacken

subside · implies a settling down from a state of agitation, like floodwaters or swelling.

diminish · suggests a reduction in size, importance, or number.

dwindle · implies a gradual shrinking, often towards nothing.

lessen · a more general and neutral term for becoming smaller or less intense.

Opposites: intensify, increase, escalate, amplify, worsen

🌱 Where it comes from

The word 'abate' comes to English from the Old French 'abattre', which literally meant 'to beat down' or 'fell'. This physical sense of knocking something down evolved into the more abstract idea of reducing something in force, intensity, or value. The connection to 'beating' is still visible in its legal sense of suppressing or putting an end to a nuisance.

🧩 How it's used

Common patterns:

the storm abatesthe pain abatesthe fever abatesthe controversy abatesshowed no sign of abatingwait for it to abate

'Abate' is a formal word typically used to describe the lessening of something negative, undesirable, or intense, such as a storm, pain, conflict, or fever. You would not say that your happiness or excitement 'abated'; you would say it 'faded' or 'diminished'. Its adjectival form, 'unabated', is also common and means 'without any reduction in intensity', as in 'The team continued its efforts with unabated enthusiasm'.

Word family: abatement, unabated

💬 Quick answers

What does 'abate' mean in simple terms?

It means for something, usually something negative or intense like a storm, a fever, or anger, to become weaker or less severe.

What's the difference between 'abate' and 'subside'?

Both mean to lessen. 'Abate' often refers to the reduction of a force or intensity, while 'subside' implies a settling down to a calmer state, like floodwaters receding. 'Abate' is also generally more formal.

Is 'abate' a formal word?

Yes, 'abate' is considered formal and is more common in writing than in casual conversation. In everyday speech, you might say 'die down' or 'let up' instead.

Can you abate something, or does it abate on its own?

While you can technically 'abate' something (reduce it), it is far more common to see the word used to describe something that lessens on its own, as in 'the pain abated'.

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