WEAR AWAY
Dictionary entry overview: What does wear away mean?
• WEAR AWAY (verb)
The verb WEAR AWAY has 3 senses:
1. cut away in small pieces
2. diminish, as by friction
3. become ground down or deteriorate
Familiarity information: WEAR AWAY used as a verb is uncommon.
Dictionary entry details
• WEAR AWAY (verb)
Meaning:
Cut away in small pieces
Classified under:
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging
Synonyms:
wear away; whittle away; whittle down
Hypernyms (to "wear away" is one way to...):
damage (inflict damage upon)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Meaning:
Diminish, as by friction
Classified under:
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging
Synonyms:
wear off; wear away
Context example:
Erosion wore away the surface
Hypernyms (to "wear away" is one way to...):
remove; take; take away; withdraw (remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "wear away"):
abrade; abrase; corrade; rub down; rub off (wear away)
Sentence frame:
Something ----s something
Meaning:
Become ground down or deteriorate
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Synonyms:
eat at; erode; gnaw at; gnaw; wear away
Context example:
Her confidence eroded
Hypernyms (to "wear away" is one way to...):
crumble; decay; delapidate (fall into decay or ruin)
Sentence frame:
Something ----s
