verb · B2

Erode

i-ROHD/ɪˈrəʊd/

To erode is to wear something away slowly, or to weaken trust, rights, or value: cliffs erode; erode confidence. Corrode is chemical (metal + rust). Undermine is close for trust. Coastal paths erode after storms. Do not use erode for a single explosion of damage — that is destroy.

Meaning

To wear something away gradually; also to weaken trust, rights, or value.

Examples

“Coastal paths continue to erode after each winter storm.”
“Real wages have eroded, which is the economic sense.”

Good to know

erode confidence / rights / value; soil erosion (noun). Mix-up: corrode (metal). Close (trust): undermine. Geography and pay news. Gradual, not sudden.

Near in meaning

undermine

New