ENGLISH
REFERENCE

recede

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ɹɪˈsid// UK //ɹɪsˈiːd// re·cede

v. to move back or away from a place. It often describes things like water going back into the sea or a crowd moving away from a stage.

v. to move back or away from a position; to withdraw or retreat. Often describes the physical movement of a liquid or the gradual reduction of a crowd.


SIMPLE

The tide begins to recede at sunset.

CONTEXTUAL

As the sun went down, the crowd started to recede, leaving the empty stadium in silence.

COMPLEX

The morning mist began to recede as the first rays of sunlight broke over the horizon, revealing the jagged peaks of the distant mountains.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

Inherited from Middle English receden, from Middle French receder and its etymon Latin recedere (“to withdraw; to go back”), from re- + cedere (“to go”).

© 2026 English Reference