corrode

verb

cor·​rode kə-ˈrōd 

corroded; corroding

transitive verb

1

: to eat away by degrees as if by gnawing

especially : to wear away gradually usually by chemical action

the metal was corroded beyond repair

2

: to weaken or destroy gradually : undermine

… meanness and miserliness that corrode the human spirit.

—Bernard DeVoto

intransitive verb

: to undergo corrosion

corrodible

kə-ˈrō-də-bəl 

adjective

Did you know?

Corrode comes from the Latin verb corrōdere, meaning "to gnaw or chew up." Corrōdere, in turn, combines the prefix cor- (used here as an intensifier with the meaning of "completely") with the verb rōdere ("to gnaw"). (You may recognize another rōdere descendent, rodent, as a word for members of an order of gnaw-happy mammals.) At one time, corrode was used to literally indicate the action of gnawing away, as in "woodworms corroded the wood." But it is the more figurative senses from the action of gnawing or eating away that have persisted, as in "salt water corroded the iron" or "a lack of transparency by local officials is corroding public trust."

Synonyms of corrode

• erode

Examples of corrode in a Sentence

Rainwater may corrode the steel containers.

Over time, the pipes become corroded and need to be replaced.

After a few weeks in the ocean, the boat began to corrode.

Years of lies and secrets had corroded their relationship.

Recent Examples on the Web

The problem, however, is its high chloride content, which can corrode electrodes and other electrolyzer components, and also trigger unwanted reactions that produce toxic chlorine compounds. — New Atlas, 24 Oct. 2026

Two days later, the company confirmed a delivery received the prior week had been dripping hydrofluoric acid — a chemical that corrodes metal and can produce toxic fumes. — Charlotte Observer, 19 Oct. 2026

Over time, this mixture corrodes structural metals while radiation weakens them from within. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026

Deterioration is exacerbated if water reaches the steel rebar, corroding from inside the concrete mass and thereby weakening the integrity of the wall. — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English corroden, borrowed from Latin corrōdere "to gnaw, chew up," from cor-, variant before r of com- com- + rōdere "to gnaw, nibble, eat away" — more at rodent

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for corrode

• abode
• anode
• barcode
• bestowed
• boatload
• borrowed
• carload
• caseload
• cathode
• commode
• crossroad
• decode

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Kids Definition

corrode

verb

cor·​rode kə-ˈrōd 

corroded; corroding

: to eat or be eaten away by degrees as if by gnawing

a bridge corroded by rust

Medical Definition

corrode

verb

cor·​rode kə-ˈrōd 

corroded; corroding

transitive verb

: to eat away by degrees as if by gnawing

especially : to wear away gradually usually by chemical action

intransitive verb

: to undergo corrosion