ebbing
Slowly drawing back
Ebbing describes something gradually receding or declining.
The term comes from the ebb tide—water retreating from shore between high tides.
By extension, anything can be ebbing: His strength was ebbing, ebbing enthusiasm, the ebbing light of dusk.
The word suggests slow, steady diminishment rather than sudden loss.
Gradually decreasing in intensity
- fadingGradual loss of intensity
- dwindlingProgressively becoming smaller
- subsidingDecreasing in intensity
- lesseningBecoming reduced in degree
declining · weakening · tapering · abating · shrinking · decreasing · dropping · falling
Gradually decreasing in intensity
Ocean's cyclical swell
- outflowFluid exiting a system
- seawardToward the ocean
- retreatingMoving back from advance
- recedingMoving away from observer
tidepools · sandbars · mudflats · intertidal · estuary · shorebirds · seaweed · exposed
Process of declining quality
- decayGradual organic breakdown
- downturnEconomic decline period
- slumpExtended period of decline
- regressionReturn to former state
atrophy · depletion · contraction · erosion · worsening · degradation · fading · withering
Act of taking away
- pullbackWithdrawal or reduction
- recessionProlonged economic decline
- recoilBackward force from discharge
- yieldingBending under pressure
fallback · departure · evacuation · backing away · drawing back · subsidence
waning
Gradually decreasing in intensity
- fadingGradual loss of intensity
- dwindlingProgressively becoming smaller
- subsidingDecreasing in intensity
lessening · declining · weakening · tapering · abating · shrinking · decreasing · dropping · falling · receding
waning
Gradually decreasing in intensity
moonlight · cycle · quarter · darkening · celestial · synodic
tide
Ocean's cyclical swell
- outflowFluid exiting a system
- seawardToward the ocean
- retreatingMoving back from advance
receding · tidepools · sandbars · mudflats · intertidal · estuary · shorebirds · seaweed · exposed · strandline
deterioration
Process of declining quality
regression · atrophy · depletion · contraction · erosion · worsening · degradation · fading · withering · stagnation
withdrawal
Act of taking away
- pullbackWithdrawal or reduction
- recessionProlonged economic decline
- recoilBackward force from discharge
yielding · fallback · departure · evacuation · backing away · drawing back · subsidence
- declinesdrop, decline, downtrend, downturn, downfall
- decliningdeclining, waning, fading, diminishing, decreasing
- decreasesreduction, decline, drop, fall, decrease
- gradual declinefading, waning, dwindling, diminishing, declining
- reducingshrinking, lessening, diminishing, decreasing, cutting back
- gradual motioncrawling, creeping, inching, drifting, gliding
ebbingflowing
Moving continuously onward
surging · flooding · rising · advancing · rushing in
ebbingsurging
Rising with sudden force
swelling · intensifying · growing · building · mounting
ebbingfilling
Material placed within
swelling · accumulating · increasing · expanding · amassing
- ebbing and flowingAlternately advancing and retreating