erode
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to grind or wear down or away or become ground or worn down or away
-
to deteriorate or cause to deteriorate
jealousy eroded the relationship
-
(tr; usually passive) pathol to remove (tissue) by ulceration
Other Word Forms
- erodability noun
- erodable adjective
- erodent adjective
- erodibility noun
- erodible adjective
- erosible adjective
- noneroded adjective
- noneroding adjective
- unerodable adjective
- uneroded adjective
- unerodible adjective
- uneroding adjective
Etymology
Origin of erode
First recorded in 1605–15; from French ė́roder or directly from Latin ērōdere, equivalent to ē- “out of, from” + rōdere “to gnaw”; e- 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In a game designed to erode your sense of reality, the salmon becomes something solid.
From Salon
As public funding for higher education has eroded, universities have increasingly turned to wealthy donors to underwrite major projects and supplement budgets by endowing professorships and research centers.
From Salon
More than anything, he worries that any change in ingredients will erode consumer trust in the Reese’s brand.
"Everyone is always affected by racism because it erodes community cohesion," she explained.
From BBC
At the same time that short-form video has eroded audiences for traditional media.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
