What does abate mean?
To "abate" means to grow less intense, widespread, or violent — to subside or dwindle. A storm abates when its winds lose their fury; a fever abates as body temperature falls; public outrage may abate as time passes. The verb can also work transitively, meaning to reduce or bring something to an end, a sense that survives most clearly in legal language: courts may order that a nuisance be abated. The word comes from the Old French "abatre," meaning "to beat down," ultimately from Latin, which explains its fitting association with forces being knocked back or beaten down. Somewhat formal in register, "abate" appears frequently in weather reports, medical writing, and news prose, often in the phrase "show no signs of abating." It should not be confused with "abet," which means to assist in wrongdoing.
(intransitive) To become less intense, severe, or widespread; to subside or diminish.
"The rain began to abate toward evening."
Most commonly used of storms, winds, pain, fear, and strong emotions.
(transitive) To reduce, lessen, or terminate something, especially a nuisance, tax, or legal action.
"The city moved to abate the noise nuisance by shutting down the venue after midnight."
Now largely confined to legal usage.
The word "abate" and the phrase "to a bat" share an ancestor: both trace back to the Latin verb meaning "to beat down."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of abate
"Abate" derives from Old French "abatre" ("to beat down, strike down"), from Late Latin "abbatere," a variant of Latin "batuere," meaning "to beat." It entered English via Norman French in the medieval period. It shares this beating root with words such as "batter" (via the same Latin source) and with the legal term "abatement." Despite similar spelling, it has no connection to "abet," which comes from a different Old French word meaning "to bait or urge on."
Related word forms
How abate is actually used
"Abate" is somewhat formal and is most often used of storms, winds, pain, anger, and other forces that rise and fall in intensity. As a transitive verb it survives chiefly in legal contexts, notably the common-law doctrine of abating a nuisance.
Easily confused with abate
"Abet" means to encourage or assist someone in committing wrongdoing, while "abate" means to lessen or subside — despite their similar spellings they are unrelated in meaning.