Meaning & use
ebbing
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“ebbing” is a form of “ebb”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbintransitive
Flowing back toward the sea, as the tide does when the water level falls.
Grammar: No object: the tide is ebbing.
Patterns
- the tide is ebbing
We waited on the shore while the tide was ebbing.
The ebbing water left small pools on the rocks.
Boats rested on the sand as the sea kept ebbing.
verbintransitivefigurative
Slowly becoming weaker, smaller or less, as feeling or strength does.
Grammar: No object; often followed by away: her strength was ebbing away.
Patterns
- something is ebbing away
- ebbing from something
His courage was ebbing as the storm grew louder.
Support for the plan is ebbing among voters.
With the ebbing of her anger, she began to listen.
adjectivebefore a noun
Gradually decreasing or fading, and not yet gone.
Grammar: Used before a noun: ebbing strength, ebbing hope.
Patterns
- ebbing strength
- ebbing hope
He gathered his ebbing strength for one last climb.
The ebbing light made it hard to read.
Her ebbing enthusiasm worried the coach.
Word forms
| base form | ebb |
|---|---|
| third person singular | ebbs |
| past tense | ebbed |
| past participle | ebbed |
Common combinations
- ebbing tide
- The ebbing tide uncovered a sandbar.
- ebbing strength
- With his ebbing strength, he pulled himself ashore.
- ebbing away
- Her energy was ebbing away by evening.
- ebbing support
- The mayor faced ebbing support.
- ebbing hope
- They clung to ebbing hope of rescue.
Synonyms and how they differ
- receding
- Receding is a more general word for moving back and fits hairlines and floods as well as tides.
- waning
- Waning suits fading things such as the moon or influence, while ebbing is tied to the picture of the tide.
- dwindling
- Dwindling stresses getting smaller in number or amount, while ebbing stresses a steady drawing away.
- subsiding
- Subsiding means settling down or calming, as with pain or a storm, and does not have the tide picture.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: ebbing or waning?
ebbing vs waning
Waning means gradually becoming smaller or weaker, often of the moon or of power. Ebbing is closer to a withdrawing wave and usually has a tide image behind it.
Practice
As the tide kept ____, more of the beach appeared.
Choose one answer.
An ebbing tide is going out, which exposes more beach. Surging, swelling and mounting all describe rising water.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ebbing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.