# ebb away

CEFR C1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ebb-away
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to slowly decrease or disappear, like the tide going out or a feeling getting weaker.

For teachers: to gradually diminish or recede; often used metaphorically to describe the slow loss of an abstract quality such as confidence, strength, or life.

## Examples

- His anger began to ebb away after he took a deep breath.
- As the sun set, the crowd's energy started to ebb away and people began heading home.
- The patient's strength continued to ebb away despite the medical team's best efforts to stabilize his condition.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The pain ebbed away it." but "The pain ebbed away." — this phrasal verb is intransitive and does not take a direct object.

## Usage notes

- usually intransitive and used to describe feelings, qualities, or physical life.
- Teaching tip: anchor this to the literal 'ebb tide' (the tide going out) to help students visualize the slow, natural movement of something leaving.

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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.