erode

verb

i-ˈrōd 

eroded; eroding

transitive verb

1

: to diminish or destroy by degrees:

a

: to eat into or away by slow destruction of substance (as by acid, infection, or cancer)

b

: to wear away by the action of water, wind, or glacial ice

The flooding eroded the hillside.

c

: to cause to deteriorate or disappear as if by eating or wearing away

inflation eroding buying power

2

: to produce or form by eroding

glaciers erode U-shaped valleys

intransitive verb

: to undergo erosion

where the land has eroded away

erodibility

i-ˌrō-də-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

erodible adjective

or less commonly erodable

i-ˈrō-də-bəl 

Synonyms of erode

• eat
• destroy
• corrode

Examples of erode in a Sentence

Crashing waves have eroded the cliffs along the beach.

The shoreline has eroded badly.

Recent Examples on the Web

The pope’s message comes as young people are increasingly turning to AI for writing, problem solving, and even relationship building—raising new questions about what technology can enhance, and what capabilities might quickly erode. —Preston Fore, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2025

Advertisement But that market is not working like it should, and is giving disinformation free rein while eroding the foundations of factual discourse. —Richard Stengel, Time, 24 Nov. 2025

Corporations started to move manufacturing outside the United States, and labor arrangements that had been negotiated in the Thirties and Forties—wherein a unionized worker might stay at one company for an entire career, drawing a pension and benefits—were eroding. —Lauren Hilgers, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025

Using slang is a normal part of being a teen, but parents should still watch out for terms that erode their child's self-esteem. —Sherri Gordon, Parents, 22 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin erodere to eat away, from e- + rodere to gnaw — more at rodent

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for erode

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

Kids Definition

erode

verb

i-ˈrōd 

eroded; eroding

1

a

: to destroy gradually by chemical means : corrode

b

: to wear away by or as if by the action of water, wind, or glacial ice

2

: to undergo erosion

Etymology

from Latin erodere "to eat away," from e- "away" and rodere "to gnaw" — related to rodent

Medical Definition

erode

transitive verb

i-ˈrōd 

eroded; eroding

1

: to eat into or away by slow destruction of substance (as by acid, infection, or cancer)

acids that erode the teeth

bone eroded by cancer

2

: to remove with an abrasive

a dental tool that erodes the decayed area