wear down

British

verb

to consume or be consumed by long or constant wearing, rubbing, etc
to overcome or be overcome gradually by persistent effort

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

wear down Idioms

Diminish, weaken, or tire by relentless pressure, as in The heels of these shoes are quite worn down, or Her constant nagging about getting a new car wore down his resistance. [First half of 1800s]

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:

wear down

I think he will be impressive and wear down a really robust and physically tough Hrgovic.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

But today, as A.I. widgets ooze through every crack of our digital lives, our reflexive outrage at the overreach is starting to wear down.

From Slate ● Apr. 23, 2026

He won’t wear down popular and respected Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch right away—he’ll wait.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2025

As mitochondria naturally wear down over time, protecting them could help older adults to fight infections and stay healthier.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2025

Lucky that she is forgiving and understanding, and that she knows how to wear down anyone’s defenses.

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023