erode
To wear something away slowly, little by little.
erode in a sentence
- Over thousands of years, the waves eroded the cliff until the old tower toppled into the sea.
- Heavy rain can slowly erode the hillside path, washing away a little more soil every year.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to erode?
- Astrengthen
- Bbuild
- Cgrow
- Dwear
Show the answer
D: wear. The other three mean the opposite of erode.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to erode?
- Abuild
- Bweather
- Ccorrode
- Dwear
Show the answer
A: build. The other three mean nearly the same as erode.
Words that mean something similar
wear, corrode, weather
Words that mean the opposite
build, grow, strengthen
More words about weather & nature
- extinction: The dying out of a whole kind of animal or plant, so that none are left.
- famine: A time when there is not enough food for many people to eat.
- fertile: Able to grow plenty of healthy plants or crops.
- flourish: To grow strongly and do very well.
- fragrant: Having a sweet, pleasant smell.
- frigid: Extremely cold.
- gale: A very strong wind.
- glorious: Wonderfully beautiful or impressive.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test