falling away
Dropping off slowly
Falling away describes a gradual decline, withdrawal, or loss of something that was once present or strong.
It often characterizes faith or belief that weakens over time: His falling away from the church happened slowly after college.
The phrase can also describe physical diminishment, as when supporters or followers gradually disappear, or when intensity fades.
In religious contexts, falling away carries connotations of apostasy or spiritual backsliding.
- diminutionReduction in size
- declineDecrease or refuse
- decreaseBecome or make smaller
- fading outGradual decrease to nothing
- backslidingReverting to former sins
losing faith · drop · estrangement · drifting apart · wane · forsaking · abandonment · defection · ebb · plummet · heresy · renouncing · desertion · erosion · withdrawal · losing · alienation · disengagement
- decliningdeclining, waning, fading, diminishing, decreasing
- spiritual afflictionsdemonic possession, spiritual attack, spiritual darkness, spiritual death, spiritual crisis
- conversionsconvert, exchange rate, encoding, transcoding, reformatting
- faith crisisfaith crisis, doubt, questioning faith, spiritual struggle, religious doubt
- heresiesGnosticism, heresy, Monophysitism, Bogomilism, unorthodoxy
- salvationredemption, eternal life, born again, justification, saving grace
falling awayapproaching
Coming toward something
advancing · closing in · nearing · converging · encroaching
falling awaystaying true
Maintaining loyalty or integrity
persevering · keeping the faith · committing · converting · embracing
falling awayincreasing
Becoming greater in amount
growing · building up · accumulating · rising · swelling
fall, away, fell, fallen, falling, falls, downfall, waterfall, fallback