Definition
To abate is to die down — to become weaker, smaller, or less severe over time. Storms abate, pain abates, public anger abates. The word almost always describes something unpleasant or overwhelming losing its force rather than disappearing all at once: the thing is still there, but its intensity is draining away. It can also be used transitively, meaning to reduce something deliberately, as in measures taken to abate noise pollution.
Examples
- The storm finally abated after three days of relentless rain.
- Public enthusiasm for the project abated once the costs became clear.
- The city introduced strict regulations to abate noise from the airport.
Synonyms
subside · diminish · wane · lessen · ebb
In TOEFL & IELTS
A classic academic verb for describing downward trends. In IELTS reading passages it appears in texts about climate, epidemics, and economics ('as the floodwaters abated…'). In TOEFL lectures it often signals a turning point in a process. Using 'abate' instead of 'go down' in Writing Task 2 — for example, 'there is little sign that demand will abate' — is an easy way to demonstrate range.