subside
Americanverb (used without object)
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subsides,
present (3rd person singular)
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subsided,
past participle, past
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subsiding
present participle
verb
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to become less loud, excited, violent, etc; abate
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to sink or fall to a lower level
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(of the surface of the earth, etc) to cave in; collapse
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(of sediment, etc) to sink or descend to the bottom; settle
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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subsidesimple
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subsidessimple
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have subsidedperfect
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has subsidedperfect
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am subsidingprogressive
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are subsidingprogressive
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is subsidingprogressive
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have been subsidingperfect progressive
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has been subsidingperfect progressive
Past
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subsidedsimple
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had subsidedperfect
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was subsidingprogressive
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were subsidingprogressive
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had been subsidingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of subside
First recorded in 1640–50; from Latin subsīdere, from sub- sub- + sīdere “to sit down, settle” ( see also sit 1)
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.
Vocabulary lists containing subside
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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:
But equally don't expect election speculation to subside at this conference.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
As the magma continues to escape, sections of the unsupported ground subside, opening new fractures and vents while feeding further eruptive columns and pyroclastic density currents.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026
Ultimately, the dizziness didn’t subside so she stopped the drug.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
In his experience, fears subside after the plans are in place.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
They sat in silence for a while, and Lola’s shivering began to subside.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
But then "the joy fades, the adrenaline subsides, and you're faced with the reality of having to return to normal life again."
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
Eventually, the novelty of the road trip fades, and hope subsides.
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026
However, it’s possible that the “bondfire” subsides under the direction of Bessent and Warsh, says Emanuel.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026
Fed officials would typically look through this oil shock because, presumably, when the latest conflict in the Middle East subsides, the inflationary surge will abate as well.
From Barron's ● Jun. 8, 2026
Werner is seized with a sudden and foreboding dread, but then Hauptmann looks back at him, and the feeling subsides.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
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
After its initial hype wave subsided, Tesla’s Cybertruck has proven to be a perennially slow seller, with only 9,769 sold in 2026.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
While rates for other pregnancy-related deaths also increased during the pandemic, those climbs have largely subsided.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
Inflammation subsided, and the spinal cords regenerated perfectly, even though the neutrophils themselves were no longer present.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 8, 2026
When the coughing subsided, Grandpa started to drift away again, but she called him back.
From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns
The exchange came shortly after the US-Iran war hit the six-month mark, and at a time when hostilities had been subsiding.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 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
A new study published in Nature finds that many of the world's largest river deltas are subsiding more quickly than global sea levels are rising, putting hundreds of millions of people at potential risk.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 20, 2026
Pakistan would likely gain a measure of relief from subsiding Sunni-Shiite tensions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026
He jumped up and yelled, “Whoo-whoo!” before subsiding in embarrassment.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
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.
