subside

American  

[suhb-sahyd] / səbˈsaɪd /

verb (used without object)

subsided, subsiding

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

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

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.

Example Sentences

The talismanic striker converted in Budapest and expertly dispatched another for the opener in Prague despite a lengthy wait for the home side's protestations to subside.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

What is unfolding now is not just another geopolitical flare-up that will soon subside.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

Perhaps that is simply your doctor assessing your risk for GI disorders before prescription, or maybe they take you off the drug for a few months to see if symptoms subside.

From Slate • Mar. 22, 2026

The attacks, even if they subside, could scramble the diplomatic calculus across the Gulf for years to come.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 2026

As she listened to their sleep sounds, Jinjoo let her worries subside and let the cadence of their breathing lull her to sleep.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh

Related Words

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