wear down

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Definition

Verb (transitive and intransitive): 1. To gradually reduce the strength, size, or quality of something through persistent use, pressure, or friction. 2. To gradually overcome someone's resistance or spirit through persistent effort, pressure, or annoyance; to exhaust or tire out.

Usage

The verb "wear down" is separable (e.g., "wear something down" or "wear down something"). It describes a slow, cumulative process of erosion, either physical or psychological.

Examples
  • Physical Erosion: /
  • Overcoming Resistance: /
Advanced Usage
  • "to wear someone down to a nub": An emphatic idiom meaning to exhaust someone completely, leaving them with no energy or resources.
    • The intense workload and stress wore him down to a nub.
Variants and Related Words
  • Wear (verb): The base form, meaning to have on one's body or to deteriorate through use.
  • Worn-down (adjective): Describing something that has been reduced or exhausted.
    • She had a worn-down look after the long journey.
  • Wear and tear (noun phrase): The damage that occurs to something through ordinary use over time.
Synonyms
  • Erode: To gradually wear away (especially for natural materials like rock or soil).
  • Diminish: To make or become less.
  • Fatigue: To cause tiredness.
  • Overcome: To defeat or succeed in dealing with a problem or resistance.
Related Phrasal Verbs
  • Wear away: Very similar to the first meaning of "wear down," emphasizing gradual removal.
    • The inscription on the old tombstone has worn away.
  • Wear out: To use something until it is no longer usable, or to exhaust someone completely.
    • He wore out his welcome by staying too long. / Chasing the kids all day wears me out.
Related Idioms
  • A war of attrition: A prolonged conflict or contest which aims to gradually wear down an opponent's strength or resources.
    • The legal battle became a war of attrition, designed to wear down the smaller company's finances.
Verb
  1. deteriorate through use or stress
    • The constant friction wore out the cloth
  2. exhaust or get tired through overuse or great strain or stress
    • We wore ourselves out on this hike

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