First Known Use: 13th century
Dictionary
abate
verb \ə-ˈbāt\
: to become weaker : to decrease in strength
abat·edabat·ing
Full Definition of ABATE
transitive verb
1
a : to put an end to <abate a nuisance> b : nullify 1 <abate a writ>
2
5
: deprive 2
intransitive verb
1
: to decrease in force or intensity
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Examples of ABATE
- For a while, in the Cold War's aftermath, the public fascination for espionage may abate, though somehow I doubt it. —John le Carré, Boston Globe, 19 Nov. 1989
- At about six, as the heat abated, people began to crowd the streets and marketplaces, and to fill the cafés. —Milton Viorst, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 1987
- But his attitude of sullen grievance and simmering fury never abated fully. —Joseph Heller, God Knows, 1984
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Origin of ABATE
Middle English, from Anglo-French abatre to strike down — more at rebate
Related to ABATE
- Synonyms
- decrease, decline, de-escalate, die (away or down or out), diminish, drain (away), drop (off), dwindle, ease, ebb, fall, fall away, lessen, let up, lower, moderate, pall, phase down, ratchet (down) also rachet (down), recede, relent, remit, shrink, subside, taper, taper off, wane
Synonym Discussion of ABATE
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 (as the tide) that commonly comes and goes <the ebbing of daylight>.
synonyms see in addition decrease
Rhymes with ABATE
ablate, adnate, aerate, age-mate, agnate, airdate, airfreight, alate, arête, await, backdate, baldpate, bandmate, baseplate, bedmate, bedplate, berate, birthrate, bistate, bite plate, blank slate, blind date, blue plate, bookplate, breastplate, casemate, castrate, caudate, cell plate, cerate, cheapskate, checkmate, chelate, chordate, citrate, classmate, clavate, cognate, collate, comate, conflate, connate, Cook Strait, cordate, create, cremate, crenate, curate, cut-rate, deadweight, death rate, debate, deflate, delate, dentate, derate, dictate, dilate, disrate, donate, doorplate, downstate, drawplate, elate, end plate, equate, estate, faceplate, falcate, fellate, filtrate, first-rate, fishplate, fixate, flatmate, floodgate, fluxgate, flyweight, folate, formate, frustrate, gelate, gestate, ground state, gyrate, hamate, hastate, headgate, Hell Gate, helpmate, home plate, hot plate, housemate, hydrate, ice-skate, inflate, ingrate, inmate, innate, instate, irate, jailbait, Kuwait, lactate, lapse rate, legate, liftgate, ligate, lightweight, liquate, lobate, locate, lunate, lustrate, lych-gate, lyrate, magnate, makebate, makeweight, mandate, messmate, migrate, misstate, mutate, nameplate, narrate, negate, Newgate, nitrate, notate, nutate, oblate, of late, orate, ornate, ovate, palmate, palpate, peltate, phonate, pinnate, placate, playdate, playmate, plicate, portrait, postdate, predate, prime rate, probate, prolate, pronate, prorate, prostate, prostrate, punctate, pupate, quadrate, rain date, ramate, rebate, red-bait, relate, restate, roommate, rostrate, rotate, saccate, schoolmate, seatmate, sedate, sensate, septate, serrate, shipmate, short weight, slave state, soleplate, soul mate, spectate, spicate, squamate, stagnate, stalemate, stellate, striate, sublate, substrate, sulcate, summate, tailgate, teammate, Tebet, tenth-rate, ternate, terneplate, testate, third-rate, tinplate, to date, toeplate, tollgate, tractate, translate, tristate, truncate, unweight, update, uprate, upstate, V-8, vacate, vallate, valvate, vibrate, virgate, vulgate, whitebait, workmate
ABATE Defined for Kids
abate
verb \ə-ˈbāt\
abat·edabat·ing
Definition of ABATE for Kids
: to make or become less <The flood abated slowly.>
— abate·ment \-mənt\ noun <The noise continued without abatement.>
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