recede
1 Americanverb (used without object)
-
to go or move away; retreat; go to or toward a more distant point; withdraw.
-
to become more distant.
-
(of a color, form, etc., on a flat surface) to move away or be perceived as moving away from an observer, especially as giving the illusion of space.
-
to slope backward.
a chin that recedes.
-
to draw back or withdraw from a conclusion, viewpoint, undertaking, promise, etc.
verb (used with object)
verb
-
to withdraw from a point or limit; go back
the tide receded
-
to become more distant
hopes of rescue receded
-
to slope backwards
apes have receding foreheads
-
-
(of a man's hair) to cease to grow at the temples and above the forehead
-
(of a man) to start to go bald in this way
-
-
to decline in value or character
-
(usually foll by from) to draw back or retreat, as from a promise
Etymology
Origin of recede1
First recorded in 1470–80; from Latin recēdere “to go back, fall back”; equivalent to re- + cede
Origin of recede2
Explanation
Recede means to pull back, retreat, or become faint or distant. Flood waters recede, as do glaciers, and even abstractions like "panic" and "hope." Think "receding hairline." (That means bald.) Cede means "to yield." Politicians, after losing an election will "cede the field" or "concede the race." Recede means to yield back. Over time, this word has taken on the sense of fading or growing faint, as in "The ghostly vision of a woman receded into the fog."
Vocabulary lists containing recede
"The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Hatchet
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
List 8
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A surge in U.S. inflation to a three-year high has begun to recede, but life isn’t going to get more affordable for Americans anytime soon.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
Those fears began to recede in 2008 with D.C. v.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
Japan could also be a beneficiary if oil prices recede.
From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 2026
She says dermatologists are also seeing an increase in young people with frontal fibrosing alopecia, where the front hairline starts to recede.
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026
I watched her face flare with light, then recede into the dimness.
From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd
On Wednesday when AFP visited Liulan, floodwaters had receded, but the streets and houses were swamped with thick mud.
From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026
While immigration sweeps have receded from the headlines, Garcia Venegas’ most recent incident highlights how the mistaken detention of Americans has continued despite congressional inquiries and denials by senior immigration officials.
From Salon ● May 24, 2026
But beginning in the late 1970s, as censorship receded, “The Sound of Music” started to be screened widely in China.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
The issue has receded somewhat since 2025, for much of which China and the US seemed on the verge of a trade war.
From BBC ● May 13, 2026
The air was close; people were crying; there was an insistent buzz which came in close to my ear and then receded.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
The other measure of receding retail appetite is in margin accounts.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 25, 2026
Deep green hills covered in dense trees rise in the background, receding into the far distance — representing the many ways that wild land seems to thrive in this vast urban space.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026
In the image he has dark skin, receding curly hair, a thick handlebar mustache, deep-set eyes and a dark suit emblazoned with a crest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026
Meanwhile, the rhetoric appears to be spreading rather than receding.
From Barron's ● Mar. 14, 2026
Though Grigori’s voice was receding, the glow of his match grew brighter.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
