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 staggering human toll in Gaza, ongoing West Bank settlement expansion, another incursion into Lebanon, and a darkening war with Iran eroded support among younger Americans—even as Washington remains Israel’s indispensable security partner. —Ian Bremmer, Time, 15 Apr. 2026

Candidates also get favorable rates for television ads so their money goes further than independent expenditures by outside groups, though that advantage is eroding as ad spending increasingly shifts toward digital streaming. —ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026

In practical terms, that means the state’s investment in each student has eroded dramatically, leaving school districts to do more with far less. —Patrice McCarthy, Hartford Courant, 14 Apr. 2026

This environment is eroding my confidence. —Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 14 Apr. 2026

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