erode

[ih-rohd]

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.

verb (used without object)

eroded, eroding 

1. to become eroded.

erode

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• erodible adjective
• erodable adjective
• erosible adjective
• erodibility noun
• erodability noun
• noneroded adjective
• noneroding adjective
• unerodable adjective
• uneroded adjective
• unerodible adjective
• uneroding adjective
• erodent adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of erode¹

First recorded in 1605–15; from French ė́roder or directly from Latin ērōdere, equivalent to ē- “out of, from” + rōdere “to gnaw”; e- ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of erode¹

C17: from Latin ērōdere, from _ex- ¹ + rōdere to gnaw

Example Sentences

Still, as Robin Brooks of the Brookings Institution noted, the dollar has been stable since August, suggesting gold’s recent rally is about eroding faith in all fiat currencies.

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Analysts warn that cutting rates in an economy with low unemployment and above-target inflation might also lead to longer-term price pressures that would erode profits and boost borrowing costs.

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Now more than ever, disruption is being accelerated by technological progress and eroding barriers to entry.

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Investors don’t expect persistent inflation to erode the value of Treasurys.

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Saudi Arabia was one of America’s top crude suppliers before the shale boom eroded U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

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Related Words

• corrode 
• destroy