abate
verb
ə-ˈbāt 
abated; abating
intransitive verb
1
: to decrease in force or intensity
waiting for the storm to abate
2
a
: to become defeated or become null or void (as of a writ or appeal)
b
: to decrease in amount or value
The legacies abated proportionately.
transitive verb
1
a
: to put an end to
abate a nuisance
b
: nullify sense 1
abate a writ
2
a
: to reduce in degree or intensity : moderate
may abate their rancor to win peace
b
: to reduce in value or amount : to make less especially by way of relief
abate a tax
3
: deduct, omit
abate part of the price
4
a
: to beat down or cut away so as to leave a figure in relief
b
obsolete : blunt
5
: deprive sense 1
abater noun
Synonyms
- de-escalate
- decline
- decrease
- die (away or down or out)
- diminish
- drain (away)
- drop (off)
- dwindle
- ease
- ebb
- fall
- fall away
- lessen
- let up
- lower
- moderate
- pall
- phase down
- ratchet (down)
- rachet (down)
- recede
- relent
- remit
- shrink
- subside
- taper
- taper off
- wane
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
For a while, in the Cold War's aftermath, the public fascination for espionage may abate, though somehow I doubt it. 
John le Carré, Boston Globe, 19 Nov. 1989 At about six, as the heat abated, people began to crowd the streets and marketplaces, and to fill the cafés. Milton Viorst, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 1987 But his attitude of sullen grievance and simmering fury never abated fully. Joseph Heller, God Knows, 1984 We waited for the wind to abate. interest in the author's home abated as her novels waned in popularity
John le Carré, Boston Globe, 19 Nov. 1989 At about six, as the heat abated, people began to crowd the streets and marketplaces, and to fill the cafés. Milton Viorst, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 1987 But his attitude of sullen grievance and simmering fury never abated fully. Joseph Heller, God Knows, 1984 We waited for the wind to abate. interest in the author's home abated as her novels waned in popularity Recent Examples on the Web Disney’s proxy season is still months away, giving that controversy plenty of time to escalate—or abate. Dan Gallagher, WSJ, 16 Aug. 2022 The $600,000 project provides enough power to meet the energy needs of the facility and will abate more than 200 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year, Matt Prine, president of Indiana American Water, said. Carrie Napoleon, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2022 The good news, experts say, is that the chip shortage should abate sometime in the next six to 18 months. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 17 July 2022 Investors are searching for answers to when inflation will abate amid fears of an impending recession. Jason Bisnoff, Forbes, 28 June 2022 The rain will likely abate while cooler temperatures lessen snowmelt in coming days, Mottice said. CBS News, 13 June 2022 The rain will likely abate while cooler temperatures lessen snowmelt in coming days, Mottice said. The Salt Lake Tribune, 13 June 2022 The devastating neurological effects of long Covid can persist for more than a year, research published Tuesday finds — even as other symptoms abate. Erika Edwards, NBC News, 24 May 2022 While the Omicron surge did abate, there's already a new variant to worry about. Anneken Tappe, CNN, 1 Apr. 2022 See More
Dan Gallagher, WSJ, 16 Aug. 2022 The $600,000 project provides enough power to meet the energy needs of the facility and will abate more than 200 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year, Matt Prine, president of Indiana American Water, said. Carrie Napoleon, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2022 The good news, experts say, is that the chip shortage should abate sometime in the next six to 18 months. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 17 July 2022 Investors are searching for answers to when inflation will abate amid fears of an impending recession. Jason Bisnoff, Forbes, 28 June 2022 The rain will likely abate while cooler temperatures lessen snowmelt in coming days, Mottice said. CBS News, 13 June 2022 The rain will likely abate while cooler temperatures lessen snowmelt in coming days, Mottice said. The Salt Lake Tribune, 13 June 2022 The devastating neurological effects of long Covid can persist for more than a year, research published Tuesday finds — even as other symptoms abate. Erika Edwards, NBC News, 24 May 2022 While the Omicron surge did abate, there's already a new variant to worry about. Anneken Tappe, CNN, 1 Apr. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English abaten, borrowed from Anglo-French abatre "to strike down, fell, reduce, put an end to," from a-, prefix in transitive verbs (going back to Latin ad- ad-) + batre "to beat," going back to Latin battuere, of uncertain origin
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Kids Definition
abate
verb
ə-ˈbāt
abated; abating
: to make or become less
The flood abated slowly.
Legal Definition
abate
verb
ə-ˈbāt
abated; abating
transitive verb
1
a
: to put an end to or do away with
abate a nuisance
b
: to make void : nullify
abate an action
2
: to reduce in amount especially proportionately
abate a tax
intransitive verb
1
: to become defeated or become null or void
when a public officer who is a party to an appeal…in an official capacity dies…the action does not abate Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure Rule 43
Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure Rule 432
: to decrease in amount or value
the legacies abated proportionately
Note: A problem arises in estate law when the amount of the bequests and devises made in a will exceeds the assets available in the estate. In such a case, some or all of the bequests and devises may have to be abated to make up the deficit. Under the Uniform Probate Code, property in the estate that is not given under the will abates first, residuary devises abate second, general devises abate third, and specific devises abate last.
abated 1 of 2
adjective
as in lessened
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- lessened
- diminished
- reduced
- decreased
- alleviated
- subdued
- eased
- lightened
- moderated
- qualified
- toned (down)
- feeble
- superficial
- shallow
- weak
- moderate
- light
- soft
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- acute
- intense
- violent
- terrible
- heavy
- intensive
- profound
- fearful
- dreadful
- hard
- fierce
- explosive
- deep
- frightful
- furious
- aggravated
- vehement
- vicious
- keen
- ferocious
- excruciating
- blistering
- exquisite
- ghastly
- fearsome
- concentrated
- intensified
- almighty
- deepened
- hellacious
- enhanced
- magnified
- accentuated
- emphasized
- heavy-duty
- heightened
abated
2 of 2verb
1
as in subsided
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually interest in the author's home abated as her novels waned in popularity Synonyms & Similar Words
- subsided
- decreased
- diminished
- fell
- eased
- vanished
- ebbed
- waned
- shrunk
- receded
- declined
- shrank
- lessened
- dwindled
- relented
- palled
- moderated
- remitted
- lowered
- tapered
- weakened
- evaporated
- tapered off
- fell away
- phased down
- let up
- alleviated
- de-escalated
- racheted (down)
- drained (away)
- slackened
- dropped (off)
- ratcheted (down)
- compressed
- contracted
- died (away or down or out)
- condensed
- constricted
- relaxed
- collapsed
- gave out
- sunk
- flagged
- sank
- melted (away)
- deflated
- frittered (away)
- faded (away)
- petered (out)
- slowed (down)
- tailed (off)
- caved (in)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- increased
- intensified
- grew
- escalated
- built
- swelled
- expanded
- soared
- accumulated
- rose
- enlarged
- mounted
- burgeoned
- mushroomed
- emerged
- ballooned
- appeared
- waxed
- snowballed
- lengthened
- bourgeoned
- picked up
- distended
- blew up
- elongated
- showed up
2
as in reduced
to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent a couple of aspirin should abate the pain Synonyms & Similar Words
- reduced
- decreased
- diminished
- lessened
- eased
- lowered
- depleted
- dwindled
- minimized
- dented
- downsized
- dropped
- slashed
- knocked down
- curtailed
- de-escalated
- cut
- compressed
- shrunk
- shrank
- downscaled
- shortened
- contracted
- pared
- trimmed
- retrenched
- condensed
- constricted
- cut down
- pruned
- truncated
- deflated
- modulated
- cropped
- clipped
- modified
- whittled
- cut back
- abridged
- abbreviated
- docked
- nicked
- moderated
- qualified
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- increased
- escalated
- augmented
- expanded
- amplified
- enlarged
- raised
- swelled
- boosted
- prolonged
- lengthened
- extended
- inflated
- intensified
- distended
- dilated
- supplemented
- blew up
- heightened
- added (to)
- protracted
- complemented
- enhanced
- aggrandized
- elongated
- redoubled
3
as in abolished
to put an end to by formal action asked the appellate court to abate the lower court's ruling allowing the patient to be removed from life support Synonyms & Similar Words
- abolished
- repealed
- canceled
- cancelled
- avoided
- overturned
- vacated
- quashed
- nullified
- dissolved
- rescinded
- abrogated
- dismissed
- voided
- invalidated
- negated
- annulled
- revoked
- withdrew
- suspended
- struck down
- set aside
- reversed
- rolled back
- disannulled
- overruled
- eliminated
- vetoed
- removed
- retracted
- nulled
- rejected
- overrode
- eradicated
- countermanded
- erased
- recalled
- forbade
- outlawed
- prohibited
- banned
- aborted
- enjoined
- disallowed
- annihilated
- did away with
- dropped
- liquidated
- called off
- called
- forbad
- threw out
- broke down
- wrote off
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- enacted
- established
- instituted
- passed
- laid down
- founded
- validated
- permitted
- warranted
- allowed
- cleared
- approved
- legislated
- prescribed
- ratified
- legitimized
- authorized
- endorsed
- decreed
- legalized
- ordered
- sanctioned
- legitimated
- formalized
- indorsed
- commanded
- mandated
4
as in subtracted
to take away (an amount or number) from a total I managed to get the used car dealer to abate $200 from the sticker price Synonyms & Similar Words
- subtracted
- reduced
- deducted
- decreased
- lessened
- diminished
- dwindled
- curtailed
- took off
- lowered
- knocked off
- discounted
- shortened
- slashed
- downsized
- cut down
- knocked down
- pared
- truncated
- pruned
- clipped
- cropped
- abbreviated
- abridged
- cut back
- trimmed
- docked
- retrenched
- cut
- whittled
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- added
- annexed
- intensified
- increased
- supplemented
- appended
- tacked (on)
- heightened
- complemented
- enhanced
- magnified
- adjoined
- escalated
- multiplied
- augmented
- expanded
- compounded
- amplified
- enlarged
- raised
- boosted
- aggrandized
- beefed (up)
5
as in stripped
to take something away from recurring problems could not abate her of her enthusiasm for the project Synonyms & Similar Words
- stripped
- deprived
- bereft
- divested
- denuded
- bereaved
- shortchanged
- defrauded
- stript
- bankrupted
- cheated
- impoverished
- disfurnished
- cleaned (out)