petering out
Slowly losing momentum
Petering out is gradually diminishing until nothing remains.
Energy peters out, enthusiasm peters out, a trail peters out in the woods.
The phrase emphasizes slow depletion rather than sudden stoppage: The conversation petered out after midnight.
Gold deposits petered out and the miners moved on.
- waningGradually decreasing in intensity
- dwindlingProgressively becoming smaller
- losing steamDeclining in energy or force
- recedingMoving away from observer
- diminishingBecoming progressively less
ebbing · fading · tapering off · evaporating · declining · fizzling out · guttering · abatement · flagging · wane · winding down · sputtering · trailing off · slackening · faltering · subsiding · lessening · decreasing
- declinedecline, in decline, decrease, downswing, on the decline
- fading awayfading, waning, ebbing, dwindling, subsiding
petering outramping up
Progressively increasing in scale
building up · intensifying · picking up steam · escalating · surging
petering outclimaxing
Reaching the highest point
going out with a bang · culminating · stopping dead · halting · grinding to a halt
petering outpersisting
Continuing through difficulty
enduring · sustaining · carrying on · persevering · keeping going
petrified, petrify, peter, peter out, petroleum, petered, peters, petering, petrification