subside

[suh b-sahyd]

verb (used without object), sub·sid·ed, sub·sid·ing.

to sink to a low or lower level.
to become quiet, less active, or less violent; abate: The laughter subsided.
to sink or fall to the bottom; settle; precipitate: to cause coffee grounds to subside.

Origin of subside

1640–50; < Latin subsīdere, equivalent to sub- sub- + sīdere to sit, settle; akin to sedēre to be seated; see sit¹

Related formssub·sid·ence

[suh b-sahyd-ns, suhb-si-dns] /səbˈsaɪd ns, ˈsʌb sɪ dns/, nounsub·sid·er, nounnon·sub·sid·ing, adjectiveun·sub·sid·ed, adjectiveun·sub·sid·ing, adjective

Can be confusedsubside subsistsubsidence subsistence

Synonyms

See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com

1. decline, descend, settle. 2. diminish, lessen, wane, ebb.

Antonyms

1. rise. 2. increase.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for subsiding

Contemporary Examples

Bill feels a sensation like “subsiding into a pile of bones.”
American Dreams, 1953: ‘Junky’ by William S. Burroughs
Nathaniel Rich
June 27, 2013
Has the subsiding of the 1990s crime wave changed - not only the quantity of gun incidents - but also the character?
David's Bookclub: Private Guns, Public Health
David Frum
March 31, 2013
One factor is the subsiding of the crack-cocaine epidemic that hit Washington hard in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
A D.C. Fix for Honduran Murders?
Eli Lake
October 6, 2011

Historical Examples

"I wanted only to know where I am," Tolto replied, subsiding meekly.
The Martian Cabal
Roman Frederick Starzl
She and d'Alcacer up there seemed to dominate the tumult which was now subsiding.
The Rescue
Joseph Conrad
In the roll of thunder, swelling and subsiding, he whispered in his ear a sarcastic: "Of course!"
Victory
Joseph Conrad
These subsiding, she viewed the matter from its business aspect.
The Paliser case
Edgar Saltus
Save for subsiding bubbles, and the bogus water, there was nothing there.
The Paliser case
Edgar Saltus

British Dictionary definitions for subsiding

subside

verb (intr)

to become less loud, excited, violent, etc; abate
to sink or fall to a lower level
(of the surface of the earth, etc) to cave in; collapse

(of sediment, etc) to sink or descend to the bottom; settle

Derived Formssubsider, noun

Word Origin

C17: from Latin subsīdere to settle down, from sub- down + sīdere to settle

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for subsiding

subside

v.

1680s, "to sink to the bottom," from Latin subsidere "settle, sink, sit down or remain," from sub "down" (see sub-) + sidere "to settle," related to sedere (see sedentary). Meaning "to sink to a lower level, be reduced" is from 1706. Related: Subsided; subsiding.

subside

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}subside

Synonyms

Antonyms

Examples from the Web for subsiding

Contemporary Examples

Bill feels a sensation like “subsiding into a pile of bones.”

Has the subsiding of the 1990s crime wave changed - not only the quantity of gun incidents - but also the character?

One factor is the subsiding of the crack-cocaine epidemic that hit Washington hard in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Historical Examples

"I wanted only to know where I am," Tolto replied, subsiding meekly.

She and d'Alcacer up there seemed to dominate the tumult which was now subsiding.

In the roll of thunder, swelling and subsiding, he whispered in his ear a sarcastic: "Of course!"

These subsiding, she viewed the matter from its business aspect.

Save for subsiding bubbles, and the bogus water, there was nothing there.

subside

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for subsiding

subside

v.

Origin of subside