wear off

verb

1. intr to decrease in intensity gradually

   the pain will wear off in an hour

2. to disappear or cause to disappear gradually through exposure, use, etc

   the pattern on the ring had been worn off

Idioms and Phrases

Diminish gradually, lose effectiveness, as in We'll wait till the drug wears off . [Late 1600s]

Example Sentences

It's been a week since the election of Donald Trump and the shock is just now beginning to wear off.

From Salon

Presidential contests, Sipple said, are typically decided by a series of headline-and-meme-generating moments: “Conventions. Acceptance speeches. Debate performances. Her anointment was followed by a very successful convention and a very successful convention speech. And just when that was starting to wear off, she went one-on-one with Trump and acquitted herself nicely in their debate.”

From Los Angeles Times

Does the illusion fully wear off if we drop the compulsive need to call them out because we want them to be held to a certain standard?

From Salon

Drums helped me harness and wear off my bad side.

From Los Angeles Times

Younger consumers may be willing to taste them out of curiosity, but the novelty will wear off, he said.

From BBC

Related Words

• subside