wear down
Third Person
wears down
Present Participle
wearing down
Past Tense
wore down
Past Participle
worn down
1
to slowly weaken someone's emotional or mental strength over time, often due to continuous pressure or challenges
- Dealing with chronic pain can wear a person down emotionally and physically.
- The constant negativity in the environment wore down his optimism.
- Persistent challenges in the project wore the team down, affecting morale.
- The ongoing conflicts at work have worn the team down emotionally.
- Don't let criticism wear you down; stay confident in your abilities.
Antonyms:
2
to become damaged through regular use
- The repetitive use of the keyboard can wear down the letters on the keys.
- Years of use have worn down the once-sharp edges of the kitchen knives.
- The constant dripping has worn down the stone surface beneath the leaky faucet.
- The repetitive washing of the delicate sweater wore the threads down over time.
- The constant rubbing of the thighs has worn the material down on her favorite jeans.