What does abating mean?
"Abating" is the present participle of the verb "abate," meaning to become less intense, severe, or widespread. It is most often used intransitively to describe forces that are gradually losing strength — storms, winds, floods, pain, anger, or public concern may all be said to be abating. The word carries a formal to neutral register and appears frequently in journalism, weather reports, and official statements, as in "the storm showed no signs of abating." It can also describe a decline in quantity or degree, such as prices or infection rates abating. Derived from Latin roots shared with words like "battle" and "combat," "abate" originally carried the sense of beating down or putting an end to something, which evolved into its modern meaning of gradual diminishment. Related forms include "abatement" (a noun for reduction or suppression) and "unabated" (describing something continuing at full force), making "abating" part of a small but versatile family of words for things winding down.
verb (present participle of 'abate')Becoming less intense, widespread, or severe; diminishing or subsiding gradually.
- To become less intense, forceful, or severe (of storms, winds, pain, anger)
- To diminish in amount or degree (of prices, rates, symptoms)
"By morning the storm had shown no sign of abating."
"The winds were finally abating after three days of relentless gales."
"Public concern over the scandal shows little sign of abating."
Despite its gentle meaning, 'abate' descends from the same Latin root as 'battle' and 'combat' — a word for fighting that came to mean the fighting dying down.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of abating
"Abating" comes from the verb "abate," which entered English from Old French "abattre" (to beat down), derived from Latin "ad-" (toward) plus "battuere" (to beat) — the same root behind "battle," "combat," and "batter." The original sense of striking something down shifted by the late Middle English period toward meanings of reduction and cessation, so that to abate came to mean to lessen or subside. Its Romance-language cousins retain related senses of beating down or lowering.
Related word forms
How abating is actually used
Formal to neutral register; common in journalism and weather reporting. Typically used intransitively ('the storm is abating'), though it can take an object in legal contexts ('abate a nuisance'). Often appears in the phrase 'showing no signs of abating.'
Easily confused with abating
'Abetting' means helping or encouraging someone to commit a crime, while 'abating' means becoming less intense — the similar spelling belies opposite meanings.