abate

American  

[uh-bayt] / əˈbeɪt /

verb (used with object)

• abates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• abated,
  past participle,  past
• abating
  present participle

1. 

   to reduce in amount, degree, intensity, etc.; lessen; diminish: to abate one's enthusiasm.

   to abate a tax;

   to abate one's enthusiasm.

   Synonyms:

   weaken, decrease

   Antonyms:

   intensify, increase

2. Law.

   1. to put an end to or suppress (a nuisance).

   2. to suspend or extinguish (an action).

   3. to annul (a writ).

3. to deduct or subtract.

   to abate part of the cost.

4. to omit.

   to abate all mention of names.

5. to remove, as in stone carving, or hammer down, as in metalwork, (a portion of a surface) in order to produce a figure or pattern in low relief.

---

verb (used without object)

• abates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• abated,
  past participle,  past
• abating
  present participle

1. to diminish in intensity, violence, amount, etc.: The pain in his shoulder finally abated.

   The storm has abated.

   The pain in his shoulder finally abated.

   Synonyms:

   subside

   Antonyms:

   intensify, increase

2. Law. to end; become null and void.

abate British  

/ əˈbeɪt /

verb

1. to make or become less in amount, intensity, degree, etc

   the storm has abated

2. (tr) law

   1. to remove, suppress, or terminate (a nuisance)

   2. to suspend or extinguish (a claim or action)

   3. to annul (a writ)

3. (intr) law (of a writ, legal action, etc) to become null and void

4. (tr) to subtract or deduct, as part of a price

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• abater
  noun
• abatable
  adjective
• unabatable
  adjective
• unabating
  adjective
• unabatingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• abating
  present
• abated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• abate
  simple
• abates
  simple
• have abated
  perfect
• has abated
  perfect
• am abating
  progressive
• are abating
  progressive
• is abating
  progressive
• have been abating
  perfect progressive
• has been abating
  perfect progressive

Past

• abated
  simple
• had abated
  perfect
• was abating
  progressive
• were abating
  progressive
• had been abating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will abate
  simple
• will have abated
  perfect
• will be abating
  progressive
• will have been abating
  perfect progressive

---

Etymology

Origin of abate

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Middle French abatre “to beat down,” equivalent to a- a- ⁵ + batre, from Late Latin batere for Latin battuere “to beat”; a- perhaps also understood as a- ³

---

Explanation

Something that abates becomes fewer or less intense. Your enthusiasm for skiing might abate after falling off a ski lift and getting a mouthful of snow. Abate comes from the Old French verb abattre, "to beat down," and means to reduce or become less intense or numerous. As an intransitive verb, it is often used with something physically, emotionally, or figuratively violent, as in "the flood of fan mail began to abate." Using it transitively, if you take measures to abate pollution or noise, you reduce them. Pronounce abate with the stress on the second syllable (uh-BATE).

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

abate abates abated abating

On the other, the forces pushing bond yields higher appear unlikely to abate any time soon, said Michael Monaghan, a portfolio manager of the Founders 100 ETF.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 18, 2026

This isn’t going to abate as an issue over time, either.

From Slate ● Sep. 19, 2026

Downtown businesses were already struggling when people started buying more retail goods online, a trend that didn’t abate when lockdowns ended, Schuster said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

With geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty unlikely to abate soon, SGX’s positioning as a multiasset risk-management platform is a critical differentiator.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026

Maybe then the sick feeling in Jinjoo’s stomach would abate.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh

“This year, investors have been more sensitive to Shopify’s cost management and margin dilution, and we believe today’s print largely abates those concerns, and establishes an upward trajectory for FCF margins going forward,” Shao wrote.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

“If the conflict abates by Monday sundown, coinciding with the start of the Jewish holiday Purim, the oil price spike could prove short-lived,” Kaneva wrote.

From Barron's ● Mar. 2, 2026

After the hubbub abates, Hudson says the hardest part will be knowing that it will be time to say goodbye to the character and the movie.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 16, 2026

Many economists expect stronger economic growth next year, especially if anxiety about fast-changing tariffs abates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 16, 2025

Salvage teams have been notified and will locate and sink the container when the storm abates.

From "Adrift" by Paul Griffin

I’m referring to buying stocks that are beaten down by tax-loss selling in the last quarter of the year, which far more often than not rebound in January after that selling has abated.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026

While attacks at the Strait of Hormuz have abated for now, those at the Bab al-Mandeb Strait on the Red Sea have turned deadly.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

“As tariff concerns eased and recession fears abated, the debasement narrative lost momentum,” he added.

From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026

“It’s the predominance of this fear that they’ve heard in the media — and that’s largely abated — that a Democrat won’t make it to the runoff,” Mitchell said.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2026

He explained Ms idea to Lyra and Farder Coram the next day, when Lyra's seasickness had abated slightly.

From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman

For more than 100 days, Juni has been fighting wildfires that show only false signs of abating.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

“The Fed can credibly argue that labor cost pressures are abating, reducing urgency for additional hikes,” said Chris Osmond, chief investment officer of Fifth Third Wealth Advisors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

While the wildfires show no sign of abating soon, the UK Foreign Office is currently not advising against travel to France or Spain.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

But one of the most recent — the energy shock driven by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the conflict in the Middle East — is hopefully showing signs of abating.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 26, 2026

Adrenaline had numbed her body for hours, abating all the usual signs of fatigue, but suddenly everything returned in a rush.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• decrease
• diminish
• dwindle
• ebb
• recede
• slacken
• subside
• taper
• wane

---