Abate meaning: Learn the English definition and

Learn the English definition and meaning of Abate with examples, pronunciation, and translations to enhance your vocabulary. The rain was steady, and as they rounded a corner alongside the estuary, they saw the fires were beginning to abate. Abate comes from the Old French verb abattre, "to beat down," and means to reduce or become less intense or numerous. As an intransitive verb, it is often used with something physically, emotionally, or figuratively violent, as in "the flood of fan mail began to abate." Originally, 'abate' had a literal meaning related to hunting, indicating the act of beating down or striking down prey. Over time, its meaning evolved to include the broader sense of diminishing, decreasing, or reducing the intensity, strength, or severity of something.