Erode

Meaning

Erode means to gradually wear away or destroy something through natural forces such as water or wind. It can also mean to gradually weaken or damage something such as confidence, trust, or power.

Pronunciation

/ɪˈrəʊd/

Word Forms

• Base form: erode
• Past tense: eroded
• Past participle: eroded
• Present participle: eroding
• Noun: erosion
• Adjective: eroded

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

• erode confidence — to gradually weaken someone's confidence.
• erode trust — to gradually damage trust between people.
• erode support — to gradually reduce people's support for someone or something.
• erode power — to gradually weaken someone's authority or influence.
• erode the coastline — to gradually wear away land along the coast.
• erode away — to gradually disappear or be destroyed through a wearing process.

Example Sentences

• Years of exposure to the sea had eroded the rocks.
• Constant criticism began to erode her confidence.
• The scandal gradually eroded public trust in the organization.
• Heavy rainfall can erode the soil.
• Small disagreements can slowly erode a relationship.

Literary Example

Example:

“You are eroded as war erodes us.”

— Denise Levertov, “Prologue: An Interim”

Here, eroded is used figuratively to mean gradually weakened or damaged. Levertov compares the destruction caused by war to the gradual destruction of language, suggesting that war can weaken language itself through propaganda, empty slogans, and the distortion of meaning.

Story Workshop

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