subside

/səbˈsaɪd/ (bre, ipa) · /səbˈsaɪd/ (ame, ipa) · /səb-ˈsīd/ (ame, mw)

subside — verb

  • subsidepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • subsideshe / she / it
  • subsidedpast simple
  • subsiding-ing form

1. If pain, noise, fear, or another difficult condition subsides, it stops being so

1.動詞不及物C1
釋義

If pain, noise, fear, or another difficult condition subsides, it stops being so strong and moves back toward a calmer, more normal state.

例句

After two hours of medicine, Omar felt the sharp pain subside.

pain/fear/noise + subside

Once the head teacher arrived, the shouting in the hall began to subside.

loud activity becomes quieter

同義詞
  • ease

    often used for pain, worry, or pressure becoming less strong

  • die down

    more informal, especially for noise, excitement, or rumours

  • lessen

    slightly broader and more neutral in tone

反義詞
  • intensify

    become stronger or more extreme

  • worsen

    become more serious or unpleasant

文法句型

subside

subside after + noun phrase

subside + adverb

用法筆記

Usually used for pain, noise, anger, fear, storms, or other difficult situations that return toward a more normal level. The subject is normally the condition itself, not a person.

常見錯誤

❌My interest in chess subsided last year.
✅My interest in chess waned last year.
💡subside is more natural for pain, noise, flooding, or tension than for long-term interest.
❌The sofa subsided into the floor.
✅The sofa sank into the floor.
💡subside usually describes conditions calming down or land, buildings, and water moving lower.

2. If land, a building, or a level of water subsides, it sinks lower than before, o

2.動詞不及物C1
釋義

If land, a building, or a level of water subsides, it sinks lower than before, often because the ground gives way or the material underneath settles.

例句

Part of the road subsided after the hillside became soaked with rain.

road/land + subside

When the mine tunnels collapsed, several nearby houses started to subside.

同義詞
  • sink

    the most general verb for moving lower

  • settle

    often suggests a slower downward movement as material comes to rest

  • cave in

    stronger and more sudden, usually with collapse

反義詞
  • rise

    move upward to a higher level

  • heave

    lift upward, especially because the ground pushes up

文法句型

subside

subside into + noun phrase

subside by + amount

用法筆記

This sense is about physical movement downward, especially of land, roads, houses, or water levels. Distinguish it from sense 1, where the change is in strength or intensity rather than height.

常見錯誤

❌The chair subsided when I sat on it.
✅The chair sank when I sat on it.
💡subside is usually used for land, buildings, or water levels, not an ordinary object dropping under weight.
❌The shouting subsided into the street.
✅The shouting spilled into the street.
💡this sense is about moving lower in level, not sound moving from one place to another.