subside

American  

[suhb-sahyd] / səbˈsaɪd /

verb (used without object)

• subsides,
  present (3rd person singular)
• subsided,
  past participle,  past
• subsiding
  present participle

1. 

   to sink to a low or lower level.

   Synonyms:

   settle, descend, decline

   Antonyms:

   rise

2. to become quiet, less active, or less violent; abate.

   The laughter subsided.

   Synonyms:

   ebb, wane, lessen, diminish

   Antonyms:

   increase

3. to sink or fall to the bottom; settle; precipitate.

   to cause coffee grounds to subside.

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subside British  

/ səbˈsaɪd /

verb

1. to become less loud, excited, violent, etc; abate

2. to sink or fall to a lower level

3. (of the surface of the earth, etc) to cave in; collapse

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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• subsidence
  noun
• subsider
  noun
• nonsubsiding
  adjective
• unsubsided
  adjective
• unsubsiding
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• subsiding
  present
• subsided
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• subside
  simple
• subsides
  simple
• have subsided
  perfect
• has subsided
  perfect
• am subsiding
  progressive
• are subsiding
  progressive
• is subsiding
  progressive
• have been subsiding
  perfect progressive
• has been subsiding
  perfect progressive

Past

• subsided
  simple
• had subsided
  perfect
• was subsiding
  progressive
• were subsiding
  progressive
• had been subsiding
  perfect progressive

Future

• will subside
  simple
• will have subsided
  perfect
• will be subsiding
  progressive
• will have been subsiding
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of subside

First recorded in 1640–50; from Latin subsīdere, from sub- sub- + sīdere “to sit down, settle” ( see also sit ¹)

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Explanation

To subside is to die down or become less violent, like rough ocean waves after a storm has passed (or your seasickness, if you happened to be sailing on that ocean). Subside comes from the Latin prefix sub- (meaning "down") and the Latin verb sidere (meaning "to settle"). Subside is often used when a negative situation has improved significantly. For example, violence, disease, and unemployment can all subside. Here's hoping that they do.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

subside subsides subsided subsiding

These macrophages typically shift from pro-inflammatory M1 states toward pro-reparative M2 states, allowing inflammation to subside and tissue repair to move forward.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2026

After storms subside, stored water can be used for irrigation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

However, these headwinds are expected to be temporary and mostly subside by the year-end, allowing the market to recover, he reckons.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

The grief will, I'm sure, subside in time, but I will always deeply miss her.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

The feeling begins to subside as soon as she lets him go.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

Eventually, the novelty of the road trip fades, and hope subsides.

From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026

The other half decided to stick with the old regime for now, meaning they will see a 40% cut in funding this year as those subsides are phased out.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

Countries are likely to respond by prioritizing supply diversification, investing in exploration and domestic resource development, and replenishing strategic reserves once the conflict subsides, SLB said.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 24, 2026

Le Peuch expects many countries to prioritize supply diversification, invest in exploration and domestic resource development, and replenish reserves once the conflict subsides.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026

My wounds look significantly worse before they start to look better, and when the swelling subsides it’s clear that my nose will be off-kilter for life.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

Ohtani said Tuesday that his symptoms have subsided since the Dodgers put him on the injured list, for the minimum stay.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

U.S. stocks ended a volatile trading session slightly higher after Treasury yields retreated from multiyear highs and expectations for another rate hike this month subsided.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

Fears about software disruptions have subsided, leaving shares of Microsoft, which is also making hay with its Azure cloud division, up 28% over the past three months.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

While rates for other pregnancy-related deaths also increased during the pandemic, those climbs have largely subsided.

From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026

My lament subsided into bitter tears that left me shaking as if all my limbs would come loose from my body.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein

Dudy said on Sunday that authorities across the airports have been conducting tests every 30 minutes "to anticipate whether the ash spread is widening or subsiding".

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

Many economists thought inflation sparked by the war in Iran was subsiding, but concerns are building once again in Europe and Asia, two continents heavily dependent on energy imports.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

"With Tropical Cyclone Dolphin moving towards the vicinity of Zhejiang and moving inland, its outer subsiding air will persistently bring extremely hot weather to the territory today to Tuesday," the forecaster said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026

When asked if some of the business impact of those cultural moments is subsiding, Fiddelke said Target’s current sales lift comes from all types of shoppers and regions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026

The relief must have been wonderful, for the punctures were now draining freely, and already the swelling was subsiding.

From "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford

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Related Words

• abate
• descend
• diminish
• dwindle
• ease
• ease off
• ebb
• melt
• peter out
• recede
• slacken
• wane

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