abate

abate

verb \ə-ˈbāt\

abat·edabat·ing

Definition of ABATE

transitive verb

1

a : to put an end to <abate a nuisance> b : nullify 1 <abate a writ>

2

a : to reduce in degree or intensity : moderate <may abate their rancor to win peace> b : to reduce in value or amount : make less especially by way of relief <abate a tax>

3

: deduct, omit <abate part of the price>

4

a : to beat down or cut away so as to leave a figure in relief b obsolete : blunt

5

: deprive 2

intransitive verb

1

: to decrease in force or intensity

2

a : to become defeated or become null or void b : to decrease in amount or value

— abat·er noun

Examples of ABATE

1. We waited for the wind to abate.
2. <interest in the author's home abated as her novels waned in popularity>
3. For a while, in the Cold War's aftermath, the public fascination for espionage may abate, though somehow I doubt it. —John le Carré, Boston Globe, 19 Nov. 1989
4. At about six, as the heat abated, people began to crowd the streets and marketplaces, and to fill the cafés. —Milton Viorst, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 1987
5. But his attitude of sullen grievance and simmering fury never abated fully. —Joseph Heller, God Knows, 1984

Origin of ABATE

Middle English, from Anglo-French abatre to strike down — more at rebate

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to ABATE

Synonyms: decrease, decline, de-escalate, die (away or down or out), diminish, drain (away), drop (off), dwindle, ease, ebb, fall, fall away, lessen, let up, lower, moderate, pall, phase down, ratchet (down) also rachet (down), recede, relent, remit, shrink, subside, taper, taper off, wane

Antonyms: accumulate, balloon, build, burgeon (also bourgeon), enlarge, escalate, expand, grow, increase, intensify, mount, mushroom, pick up, rise, snowball, soar, swell, wax

Related Words: compress, condense, constrict, contract; evaporate, fade (away), fritter (away), give out, melt (away), peter (out), tail (off), vanish; slacken, slow (down); alleviate, relax; flag, sink, weaken; cave (in), collapse, deflate

Near Antonyms: appear, emerge, show up; blow up, distend, elongate, lengthen

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Synonym Discussion of ABATE

abate, subside, wane, ebb mean to die down in force or intensity. abate stresses the idea of progressive diminishing <the storm abated>. subside implies the ceasing of turbulence or agitation <the protests subsided after a few days>. wane suggests the fading or weakening of something good or impressive <waning enthusiasm>. ebb suggests the receding of something (as the tide) that commonly comes and goes <the ebbing of daylight>.

Rhymes with ABATE

ablate, adnate, aerate, age-mate, agnate, airdate, airfreight, alate, arête, await, backdate, baldpate, bandmate, baseplate, bedmate, bedplate, berate, birthrate, bistate, bite plate, blank slate, blind date, blue plate, bookplate, breastplate, casemate, castrate, caudate, cell plate, cerate, cheapskate, checkmate, chelate, chordate, citrate, classmate, clavate, cognate, collate, comate, conflate, connate, Cook Strait, cordate, create, cremate, crenate, curate, cut-rate, deadweight, death rate, debate, deflate, delate, dentate, derate, dictate, dilate, disrate, donate, doorplate, downstate, drawplate, elate, end plate, equate, estate, faceplate, falcate, fellate, filtrate, first-rate, fishplate, fixate, flatmate, floodgate, fluxgate, flyweight, folate, formate, frustrate, gelate, gestate, ground state, gyrate, hamate, hastate, headgate, Hell Gate, helpmate, home plate, hot plate, housemate, hydrate, ice-skate, inflate, ingrate, inmate, innate, instate, irate, jailbait, Kuwait, lactate, lapse rate, legate, liftgate, ligate, lightweight, liquate, lobate, locate, lunate, lustrate, lych-gate, lyrate, magnate, makebate, makeweight, mandate, messmate, migrate, misstate, mutate, nameplate, narrate, negate, Newgate, nitrate, notate, nutate, oblate, of late, orate, ornate, ovate, palmate, palpate, peltate, phonate, pinnate, placate, playdate, playmate, plicate, portrait, postdate, predate, prime rate, probate, prolate, pronate, prorate, prostate, prostrate, punctate, pupate, quadrate, rain date, ramate, rebate, red-bait, relate, restate, roommate, rostrate, rotate, saccate, schoolmate, seatmate, sedate, sensate, septate, serrate, shipmate, short weight, slave state, soleplate, soul mate, spectate, spicate, squamate, stagnate, stalemate, stellate, striate, sublate, substrate, sulcate, summate, tailgate, teammate, Tebet, tenth-rate, ternate, terneplate, testate, third-rate, tinplate, to date, toeplate, tollgate, tractate, translate, tristate, truncate, unweight, update, uprate, upstate, V-8, vacate, vallate, valvate, vibrate, virgate, vulgate, whitebait, workmate