subside

verb

sub·​side səb-ˈsīd How to pronounce subside (audio)
subsided; subsiding

intransitive verb

1
: to sink or fall to the bottom : settle
2
: to tend downward : descend
especially : to flatten out so as to form a depression
3
: to let oneself settle down : sink
subsided into a chair
4
: to become quiet or less
as the fever subsides
my anger subsided
Choose the Right Synonym for subside

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

Examples of subside in a Sentence

The pain will subside in a couple of hours. After his anger had subsided, he was able to look at things rationally. We'll have to wait until the wind subsides. The road will remain closed until the water subsides.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Yet two years passed before the painting was discovered, and only then because Peruggia – who had kept the painting hidden in his Paris apartment all of that time, waiting for the furor over the theft to subside – attempted to sell it to an Italian art dealer. Mason Leath, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2025 After a moment, my sobs subsided. Sam Lipsyte, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025 Land is subsiding in the Ranegras Plain basin and groundwater is declining faster than the rate of replenishment, the Arizona Department of Water Resources informed residents gathered in Brenda at the Desert Gold RV Resort. Clara Migoya, AZCentral.com, 17 Oct. 2025 By the end of the trip, the urge to check her phone had subsided. Nathan Diller, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for subside

Word History

Etymology

Latin subsidere, from sub- + sidere to sit down, sink; akin to Latin sedēre to sit — more at sit

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of subside was in 1607

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Subside.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subside. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

subside

verb
sub·​side səb-ˈsīd How to pronounce subside (audio)
subsided; subsiding
1
: to sink or fall to the bottom : settle
2
: to become quiet or less : abate
as the fever subsides
my anger subsided
subsidence
səb-ˈsīd-ᵊn(t)s How to pronounce subside (audio)
ˈsəb-səd-ən(t)s
noun

Medical Definition

subside

intransitive verb
sub·​side səb-ˈsīd How to pronounce subside (audio)
subsided; subsiding
: to lessen in severity : become diminished
the fever subsided

More from Merriam-Webster on subside

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