# abate

/əˈbeɪt/ (US) · /ɐbˈeɪt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/abate
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. to become less strong

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to become less strong or intense, like a storm or a loud noise.

For teachers: to decrease in force or intensity; to subside. Often used intransitively regarding weather phenomena or emotional states.

- We waited in the house for the storm to abate before driving home.
- The fury of the gale began to abate toward dawn, allowing rescue teams to assess the damage to the coastal defenses.

### 2. to reduce something

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to make something less, such as a tax, a problem, or a noise.

For teachers: to lessen or reduce something in amount, degree, or intensity. Transitive use.

- The new laws were designed to abate the smoke and noise from the factory.
- The city council implemented several measures to abate the rising levels of noise pollution in the historic district.

### 3. legal ending

verb · CEFR C2 · Formal · Technical

to stop or end a legal case or a public problem.

For teachers: to nullify a writ, end a nuisance, or terminate legal proceedings. Often used in technical legal contexts.

- The judge decided to abate the legal proceedings due to a technical error.
- The lawsuit was abated following the death of the defendant, as the cause of action did not survive against the estate.

Teaching tip: This sense is highly technical; learners will mostly encounter it in formal legal documents or news reports about court cases.

## Examples

- The storm began to abate after midnight.
- The government waited for the public anger to abate before announcing the new tax policy.
- While the initial fervor of the protest began to abate as winter approached, the underlying grievances remained a potent force in the local political landscape.

## Usage notes

- The verb is primarily intransitive, though it has a transitive sense in legal contexts meaning to nullify or end a nuisance.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.