Recede

//ɹɪˈsiːd// verb

verb ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To move back; to retreat; to withdraw.

    "Like the hollow roar / Of tides receding from th' insulted shore."

  2. 2
    become faint or more distant wordnet
  3. 3
    To cede back; to grant or yield again to a former possessor.

    "to recede conquered territory"

  4. 4
    retreat wordnet
  5. 5
    To take back.
Show 1 more definition
  1. 6
    pull back or move away or backward wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
withdrawfall backabatebackback downback off

Example

More examples

"My memory of her has begun to recede."

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English receden, from Middle French receder and its etymon Latin recedere (“to withdraw; to go back”), from re- + cedere (“to go”).

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.