ALL meanings of wear down
wear down
W w - verb with object wear down to carry or have on the body or about the person as a covering, equipment, ornament, or the like: to wear a coat; to wear a saber; to wear a disguise. 1
- verb with object wear down to have or use on the person habitually: to wear a wig. 1
- verb with object wear down to bear or have in one's aspect or appearance: to wear a smile; to wear an air of triumph. 1
- verb with object wear down to cause (garments, linens, etc.) to deteriorate or change by wear: Hard use has worn these gloves. 1
- verb with object wear down to impair, deteriorate, or consume gradually by use or any continued process: Long illness had worn the bloom from her cheeks. 1
- verb with object wear down to waste or diminish gradually by rubbing, scraping, washing, etc.: The waves have worn these rocks. 1
- verb with object wear down to make (a hole, channel, way, etc.) by such action. 1
- verb with object wear down to bring about or cause a specified condition in (a person or thing) by use, deterioration, or gradual change: to wear clothes to rags; to wear a person to a shadow. 1
- verb with object wear down to weary; fatigue; exhaust: Toil and care soon wear the spirit. 1
- verb with object wear down to pass (time) gradually or tediously (usually followed by away or out): We wore the afternoon away in arguing. 1
- verb with object wear down Nautical. to bring (a vessel) on another tack by turning until the wind is on the stern. 1
- verb with object wear down British Dialect. to gather and herd (sheep or cattle) to a pen or pasture. 1
- verb without object wear down to undergo gradual impairment, diminution, reduction, etc., from wear, use, attrition, or other causes (often followed by away, down, out, or off). 1
- verb without object wear down to retain shape, color, usefulness, value, etc., under wear, use, or any continued strain: a strong material that will wear; colors that wear well. 1
- verb without object wear down (of time) to pass, especially slowly or tediously (often followed by on or away): As the day wore on, we had less and less to talk about. 1
- verb without object wear down to have the quality of being easy or difficult to tolerate, especially after a relatively long association: It's hard to get to know him, but he wears well. 1
- verb without object wear down Nautical. (of a vessel) to come round on another tack by turning away from the wind. 1
- verb without object wear down Obsolete. to be commonly worn; to be in fashion. 1
- noun wear down the act of wearing; use, as of a garment: articles for winter wear; I've had a lot of wear out of this coat; I had to throw away the shirt after only three wears. 1
- noun wear down the state of being worn, as on the person. 1
- noun wear down clothing or other articles for wearing; especially when fashionable or appropriate for a particular function (often used in combination): travel wear; sportswear. 1
- noun wear down gradual impairment, wasting, diminution, etc., as from use: The carpet shows wear. 1
- noun wear down the quality of resisting deterioration with use; durability. 1
- idioms wear down wear thin, to diminish; weaken: My patience is wearing thin. to become less appealing, interesting, tolerable, etc.: childish antics that soon wore thin. 1
- intransitivephrasal verbs wear down be eroded 1
- transitivephrasal verb wear down erode 1
- transitivephrasal verb wear down tire into submission, exhaust 1
- transitivephrasal verb wear down tire into submission 1
- phrasal verb wear down If you wear something down or if it wears down, it becomes flatter or smoother as a result of constantly rubbing against something else. 0
- phrasal verb wear down If you wear someone down, you make them gradually weaker or less determined until they eventually do what you want. 0
- verb wear down to consume or be consumed by long or constant wearing, rubbing, etc 0
- verb wear down to overcome or be overcome gradually by persistent effort 0
- noun wear down to make or become worn; lose or cause to lose thickness or height by use, friction, etc. 0
- noun wear down to tire out, or exhaust (a person); weary 0
- noun wear down to overcome the resistance of by persistence 0