subside

Meanings

1. 1verbintransitive

   To become less strong, intense, or severe over time.

   Grammar: No object; often used for feelings, noise, weather, or symptoms: The pain subsided.

   Patterns

   • subside after something
   • subside gradually

   The storm finally subsided after midnight.

   Her anger subsided once she heard the full story.

   The noise from the party subsided around two in the morning.

2. 2verbintransitive

   To sink to a lower level, especially of land or water.

   Grammar: No object; often used for ground, buildings, or water levels: The ground subsided.

   Patterns

   • the ground subsides
   • land subsides

   The land slowly subsided after the earthquake.

   Parts of the city are subsiding because of groundwater extraction.

   The floodwaters subsided, leaving mud everywhere.

Word forms

Common combinations

subside gradually

The swelling subsided gradually over a few days.

subside after

The pain subsided after she took the medicine.

the storm subsides

We waited until the storm subsided before going out.

the ground subsides

The ground subsided, causing cracks in the walls.

subside into

He subsided into silence after the argument.

Synonyms and how they differ

diminish

Diminish means to become smaller or less, often in amount or importance; subside often suggests a return to a calmer or lower state.

abate

Abate is more formal and often used for storms, noise, or pain; subside is common in everyday speech.

decrease

Decrease is a general word for becoming less in number or size; subside is used for intensity or physical sinking.

Opposites

Word family

subsidence noun

The process of land or a building sinking to a lower level.

Commonly confused: subside or subsidize?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “subside”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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