erode

[ih-rohd]

verb (used with object)

eroded, eroding 

1. to eat into or away; destroy by slow consumption or disintegration.

   Battery acid had eroded the engine. Inflation erodes the value of our money.

   Synonyms: spoil, ravage, waste, corrode
   Antonyms: reinforce, strengthen

2. to form (a gully, butte, or the like) by erosion.

verb (used without object)

eroded, eroding 

1. to become eroded.

erode

/ ɪˈrəʊd /

verb

1. to grind or wear down or away or become ground or worn down or away

2. to deteriorate or cause to deteriorate

   jealousy eroded the relationship

3. (tr; usually passive) pathol to remove (tissue) by ulceration

Other Word Forms

• erodible adjective
• erodent adjective
• erodable adjective
• erosible adjective
• erodibility noun
• erodability noun
• noneroded adjective
• noneroding adjective
• unerodable adjective
• uneroded adjective
• unerodible adjective
• uneroding adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of erode¹

First recorded in 1605–15; from French ė́roder or directly from Latin ērōdere, equivalent to ē- “out of, from” + rōdere “to gnaw”; e- ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of erode¹

C17: from Latin ērōdere, from _ex- ¹ + rōdere to gnaw

Example Sentences

The March for Australia website says "Australia's unity and shared values have been eroded by policies and movements that divide us," adding that "mass migration has torn at the bonds that held our communities together".

From BBC

It is a logic that can erode traditional legal safeguards that require proof before punishment.

From Salon

The piece contends that the administration is exploiting anxiety about crime to erode civil rights and due process protections, with the death penalty serving as a tool of repression rather than crime deterrence.

From Los Angeles Times

“As more Americans across the nation continue to feel the impacts of his destructive policies, public support will continue to erode.”

From Los Angeles Times

If successfully implemented, the Orbánization of America would chill civil rights and liberties, muzzle the press, erode free and fair elections and impose full-on White Christian authoritarian rule.

From Salon

Related Words

• corrode 
• destroy