ebb

play

noun \ ˈeb \

Definition of ebb

1 :the reflux of the tide toward the sea

2 :a point or condition of decline

our spirits were at a low ebb

See ebb defined for English-language learners

See ebb defined for kids

Examples of ebb in a Sentence

Morale seems to have reached its lowest ebb.
a surprising ebb in the quality of workmanship in goods coming from that country

Recent Examples of ebb from the Web

But the ebb and flow of a football program doesn’t occur in a vacuum.

— george schroeder, USA TODAY, "Willie Taggart, Oregon begin climb back after Ducks' quick descent," 29 Aug. 2017
Before Trump, the political calendar was a dependable resource for Sherber and Keaney to watch their clients ebb and flow.

— kaitlin menza, Town & Country, "Is Trump the Driving Force Behind D.C.'s Plastic Surgery Boom?," 23 Aug. 2017
The emphasis on duality in Sun-Tzu’s philosophy, the yin and yang of war, coincided with Mattis’s deep appreciation for the ebb and flow of the natural world and human interaction.

— jim proser, National Review, "James Mattis: No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy," 15 Aug. 2017
But relations between the two countries are at a low ebb.

— The Economist, "Turkey has arrested Amnesty International’s local director," 14 July 2017
Coastal ecosystems the world over have adapted to—and rely on—lunar tides, which ebb and flow as a result of a three-body dance between the rotating Earth, the sun’s gravitational field, and the moon’s gravitational field.

— National Geographic, "Sex, Death, and Pollination: How the Moon Changes Life on Earth," 6 July 2017
By examining the nature and tone of activism at different points, the series shows how engagement changed over time and begins to provide context to the ebb and flow of American activism.

— anne kniggendorf, kansascity.com, "First Friday gallery guide: Five shows to see," 3 July 2017
During his 46 years in Chicago real estate, CBRE Chairman Bob Wislow has seen development trends ebb and flow.

— ryan ori, chicagotribune.com, "No little plans: More than $20 billion of megaprojects in Chicago's pipeline," 22 June 2017
Wall Street trading firms hire armies of mathematicians to analyze the daily ebb and flow of stock prices using the most sophisticated tools at their command.

— National Geographic, "4 Everyday Items Einstein Helped Create," 13 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ebb.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of ebb

Middle English ebbe, from Old English ebba; akin to Middle Dutch ebbe ebb, Old English of from — more at of

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

ebb Synonyms

Synonyms

decadence, declension, declination, degeneracy, degeneration, degradation, dégringolade, descent, deterioration, devolution, downfall, downgrade, decline, eclipse, fall

Antonyms

ascent, rise, upswing

Near Antonyms

advancement, development, evolution, growth; blossoming, flourishing, flowering; renewal, restoration, revitalization; heightening; accretion, accrual, addendum, addition, augmentation, boost, enhancement, gain, increase, increment, raise, supplement

ebb

verb

Definition of ebb

intransitive verb

1 :to recede from the flood

2 :to fall from a higher to a lower level or from a better to a worse state

his popularity ebbed

See ebb defined for English-language learners

Examples of ebb in a Sentence

waiting for the tide to ebb
the fortunes of the town slowly ebbed as factory after textile factory closed

Recent Examples of ebb from the Web

The long layer cake records from deep sites in the center of Antarctica reveal how greenhouse gases have surged and ebbed across hundreds of thousands of years.

— paul voosen, Science | AAAS, "Record-shattering 2.7-million-year-old ice core reveals start of the ice ages," 15 Aug. 2017
Immigration levels ebbed and flowed throughout U.S. history, and the flow was controlled through restrictive legislation until 1965.

— michelle ye hee lee, Washington Post, "Fact-checking the Stephen Miller-Jim Acosta exchange on immigration," 8 Aug. 2017
After all — as Miller pointed out — American immigration has ebbed and flowed for generations, and there is no one, true number that’s consistent with the poet’s original intent.

— david french, National Review, "On Immigration, Poetry Isn’t Policy, but Poetry Matters," 3 Aug. 2017
Chaos convincingly ebbs and flows in this rattling film, a baneful tide lapping at some of history’s most troubled shores.

— richard lawson, HWD, "Gorgeous, Gripping Dunkirk Is This Summer’s Most Surprising Movie," 20 July 2017
His greatest concern as his life ebbs away is that fate will decide for him.

— j.r. jones, Chicago Reader, "Free will is a bitch in Claude Sautet’s Les Choses de la Vie," 19 July 2017
While the popularity of other Marvel heroes would ebb and flow, Spider-Man was a constant; the star of multiple comic book series, a steady presence on television, an inescapable likeness licensed to countless toys and t-shirts and video games.

— joshua rivera, GQ, "The Reboot Spider-Man Really Needs," 5 July 2017
But those levels could ebb if regulators don't find a way to balance increased safety measures with efforts to encourage more drilling.

— greg larose, NOLA.com, "Gulf drilling regulator says safety is still emphasized: report," 28 June 2017
Bloomberg with your weekly national-reporter-goes-to-Trump-stronghold story, this time in a western Pennsylvania town where enthusiasm for the president is ebbing.

— aubrey whelan, Philly.com, "TRUMPadelphia: The travel ban goes to court and more," 27 June 2017

First Known Use of ebb

before 12th century

ebb Synonyms

Synonyms

atrophy, crumble, decay, decline, degenerate, descend, devolve, deteriorate, regress, retrograde, rot, sink, worsen

Antonyms

ameliorate, improve, meliorate

Related Words

abate, de-escalate, diminish, downsize, dwindle, recede, wane; break down, corrupt, decompose, degrade, dilapidate, disintegrate, molder, putrefy; sour, spoil; lessen, lower, reduce; debilitate, undermine; droop, fail, fall, flag, lag, languish, run down, sag, slip, waste (away), weaken, wilt

Near Antonyms

better, upgrade; enhance, enrich, fortify, heighten, intensify, strengthen; advance, develop, march, proceed, progress

Synonym Discussion of ebb

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 (such as the tide) that commonly comes and goes.

- the ebbing of daylight

EBB Defined for English Language Learners

ebb

play

noun

Definition of ebb for English Language Learners

: the time when the tide flows out from the land
: a low point or condition : a condition of weakness, failure, etc.

ebb

verb

Definition of ebb for English Language Learners

of a tide : to flow outward from the land
: to get worse

EBB Defined for Kids

ebb

play

noun \ ˈeb \

Definition of ebb for Students

1 :the flowing out of the tide

2 :a point reached after things have gotten worse

In the ebb of their fortunes, this sum was their total capital …
—Jack London, The Call of the Wild

ebb

verb

Definition of ebb for Students

ebbed; ebbing

1 :to flow out or away

2 :to get worse His fortunes ebbed.

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See words that rhyme with ebb Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for ebb Spanish Central: Translation of ebb Nglish: Translation of ebb for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of ebb for Arabic speakers

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ebb

Definition of ebb

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Definition of ebb for English Language Learners

ebb

Definition of ebb for English Language Learners

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