recede

/rɪˈsiːd/ (bre, ipa) · /rɪˈsiːd/ (ame, ipa) · /ri-ˈsēd/ (ame, mw)

recede — verb

  • recedepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • recedeshe / she / it
  • recededpast simple
  • receding-ing form

1. If something recedes, it moves back from where it was or becomes gradually weake

1.動詞不及物B2
釋義

If something recedes, it moves back from where it was or becomes gradually weaker, fainter, or less noticeable — for example, flood water going down, a sound fading away, or a painful feeling becoming less intense.

例句

Hiroshi watched from the pier as the ferry receded into the morning fog.

recede + into [distance/fog]

After taking the anti-inflammatory tablets, the throbbing in Clara's ankle gradually receded.

recede + adverb (gradually) for diminishing pain

同義詞
  • retreat

    more active and deliberate — often used for armies or conscious withdrawal

  • fade

    focuses on loss of visibility, sound, or colour rather than physical movement

  • diminish

    emphasises reduction in size, strength, or importance

  • ebb

    poetic or formal; associated with the tide and suggests a natural, rhythmic decline

反義詞
  • advance

    to move forward towards someone or something

  • approach

    to come nearer in distance or time

  • intensify

    to become stronger or more severe

文法句型

recede + adverb (slowly/gradually/further)

recede + preposition phrase (from/into)

用法筆記

Always intransitive: the subject is what moves away or diminishes. The verb never takes a direct object.

常見錯誤

CONSIDER SPACING: The floodwaters receded away slowly. CORRECT: The floodwaters receded slowly. — recede already contains the idea of moving back, so away is redundant.

CONSIDER SPACING: The memory receded back into the past. CORRECT: The memory receded into the past. — same error; back repeats the meaning of recede.

2. When a part of a person's face, especially their hairline or chin, recedes, it s

2.動詞不及物B2
釋義

When a part of a person's face, especially their hairline or chin, recedes, it slopes backwards or is positioned further back than is typical.

例句

By the time Diego turned thirty-five, his hairline had started to recede noticeably.

receding hairline + start to recede

The portrait showed a woman with a receding chin and a warm, gentle smile.

receding + chin (adjective use)

同義詞
  • slope backwards

    describes the physical angle rather than the process of loss

  • thin

    for hair specifically — focuses on reduced density, not backward movement of the hairline

反義詞
  • protrude

    to stick out forwards from a surface

  • project

    to extend outward beyond the surrounding area

文法句型

recede + adverb phrase (at/from)

often in continuous form: is receding

用法筆記

Most common with hairline or chin as the subject. When describing hair, the continuous form (is receding) emphasises the ongoing process. The participle receding is frequently used as an adjective: a receding hairline.

常見錯誤

CONSIDER SPACING: His hair is receding back. CORRECT: His hairline is receding. — it is the hairline, not individual hairs, that recedes; and back is redundant.