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

HFCs were introduced in the 1990s to replace chemicals that had been found to erode the ozone layer, but turned out to be catastrophic for global warming.

From Barron's • May 21, 2026

“Unless supply meaningfully increases, home price growth could outpace wage growth and further erode the homeownership rate. All efforts need to be focused on boosting housing supply.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

For some observers of the New Age and wellness industries, the controversy around Chopra’s association with Epstein doesn’t simply erode Chopra’s credibility as a guru, but also points toward deeper issues.

From Salon • May 19, 2026

It says that rising healthcare costs would erode any wage gains.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026

The buildings looked substantial, unlikely ever to erode.

From "The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Related Words

• corrode
• destroy