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:
Some trucking companies have ceased doing business, and many more will likely fail if high fuel costs do not subside soon.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
The grief will, I'm sure, subside in time, but I will always deeply miss her.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
They might subside for a little bit, but another system — Tropical Storm Fausto — could generate “another set of elevated swell at our beaches later this week into the weekend.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
“Even if attacks subside temporarily, the underlying dispute over the strait will remain, making future flare-ups highly likely.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
The pain in his heel began to subside.
From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman
Eventually, the novelty of the road trip fades, and hope subsides.
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026
Postpartum depression is longer-lasting than “baby blues,” a common emotional state after birth that subsides within a couple of weeks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
The momentum in the second quarter might be hard to sustain unless the war ends, oil prices fall and inflation subsides.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
The other half decided to stick with the old regime for now, meaning they will see a 40% cut in funding this year as those subsides are phased out.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
My laughter subsides, and I hear her soft voice over and over in my head until I just sit there with satisfaction wrapping around me.
From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson
But Noor Ahmad had Marsh caught for 32 at extra cover as he failed to convert his score into a match-defining one in what became a familiar pattern for Sunrisers as their middle order subsided.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
When the attacks somewhat subsided a few days later, the vessel unloaded its cargo and was asked to sail eastwards via the Strait of Hormuz.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
By Monday, the dangerous conditions had largely subsided, according to the weather service.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
Ohtani also mentioned earlier this week that his biceps problem, which flared for the second time this season during his last at-bat July 3, has not completely subsided.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
The water had subsided and would probably disappear by the end of the dry season.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
"With Tropical Cyclone Dolphin moving towards the vicinity of Zhejiang and moving inland, its outer subsiding air will persistently bring extremely hot weather to the territory today to Tuesday," the forecaster said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 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
The protests have since spread beyond Antananarivo, gripping eight other cities across the island, with no signs of subsiding.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2025
Its gristly nose was subsiding into its skull hole.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
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.
