WEAR OFF

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does wear off mean? 

• WEAR OFF (verb)
  The verb WEAR OFF has 2 senses:

1. deteriorate through use or stress

2. diminish, as by friction

  Familiarity information: WEAR OFF used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• WEAR OFF (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Deteriorate through use or stress

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

wear; wear down; wear off; wear out; wear thin

Context example:

The constant friction wore out the cloth

Hypernyms (to "wear off" is one way to...):

deteriorate (become worse or disintegrate)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "wear off"):

ablate (wear away through erosion or vaporization)

scuff (get or become scuffed)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Diminish, as by friction

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

wear away; wear off

Context example:

Erosion wore away the surface

Hypernyms (to "wear off" 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 off"):

abrade; abrase; corrade; rub down; rub off (wear away)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

 Context examples 

I am sure they will like her extremely; and when she gets a little acquainted with them, her fears will completely wear off, for there really is nothing in the manners of either but what is highly conciliating.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)