erode

American  

[ih-rohd] / ɪˈroʊd /

verb (used with object)

eroded, eroding

1. to eat into or away; destroy by slow consumption or disintegration.

   Battery acid had eroded the engine. Inflation erodes the value of our money.

   Synonyms:

   spoil, ravage, waste, corrode

   Antonyms:

   reinforce, strengthen

2. to form (a gully, butte, or the like) by erosion.

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verb (used without object)

eroded, eroding

1. to become eroded.

erode British  

/ ɪˈrəʊd /

verb

1. to grind or wear down or away or become ground or worn down or away

2. to deteriorate or cause to deteriorate

   jealousy eroded the relationship

3. (tr; usually passive) pathol to remove (tissue) by ulceration

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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”; see e- ¹

Explanation

When soil or land erodes, it wears away or is removed. Many beaches seem to get smaller and smaller, as the endless wash of the waves begins to erode the fine sand. While erode is most commonly used when describing land loss, you can also use it in less literal ways. Numerous hospital bills can cause your savings to erode. Each time you catch your friend in a lie, your trust in her erodes a little more. Consumer confidence is eroding away as the media reports more and more bad economic news. What’s key here is both the sense of loss, as well as the idea that it is a gradual process.

Example Sentences

If you hold bonds in a taxable portfolio, taxes may eat into your income and erode your “real” inflation-adjusted returns.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

Powell called the move a pressure tactic designed to erode the Fed's independence, and vowed to stay on until the investigation was concluded "with transparency and finality."

From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026

Some lawmakers, like DeSaulnier, worry the scandals will continue to erode Americans’ confidence in the government and the people who represent them.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026

Those unanticipated costs can quietly erode retirement savings if retirees aren’t prepared.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

They found it easily enough: a erode concrete shed with a red neon sign flashing irregularly over the door and the sound of loud voices through the condensation-frosted windows.

From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman

Related Words

• corrode
• destroy