wearing down
Slowly sapping strength
Wearing down is the process of gradually weakening resistance through persistent pressure or repetition.
Physical objects wear down through friction; people wear down through exhaustion or repeated demands: The constant arguments were wearing her down.
The phrase implies slow erosion rather than sudden defeat—victory through attrition rather than force.
Continuing despite difficulty
- pressureForce upon contact
- attritionGradual reduction through loss
- gradualDeveloping slowly over time
- relentlessContinuing without pause
steady · continuous · unrelenting · breaking · weakening · overcoming · undermining · chipping away
Channel for wastewater
- sappingGradually draining vitality
- diminishingBecoming progressively less
- reductionMaking something smaller
- consumptionUsing up of resources
exhausting · tapping · bleeding · extraction · emptying · dwindling · shrinking · using up
Shallow surface wound
- rubbingApplying pressure while moving
- grindingMolar action sometimes
- chafingIrritation from friction
- scuffingSurface abrasion from friction
scouring · fretting · traction · sliding · rasping · grating · scraping · contact
Erode through friction
- corrodeDestroy through chemical action
- weatherAtmospheric state outdoors
- decayGradual organic breakdown
- crumbleFragment gradually
degrade · gnaw · chafe · scour · whittle · atrophy · waste away · deteriorate
State of needing rest
- wearinessState of being drained
- exhaustionState of utter depletion
- burnoutChronic occupational depletion
- lethargyAbnormal drowsiness and apathy
enervation · debilitation · drained · sluggishness · languor · weakness · drowsiness · spent
persistence
Continuing despite difficulty
relentless · steady · continuous · unrelenting · breaking · weakening · overcoming · undermining · chipping away · grinding
drain
Channel for wastewater
- sappingGradually draining vitality
- diminishingBecoming progressively less
- reductionMaking something smaller
consumption · exhausting · tapping · bleeding · extraction · emptying · dwindling · shrinking · using up · running low
abrasion
Shallow surface wound
scuffing · scouring · fretting · traction · sliding · rasping · grating · scraping · contact · threadbare
abrade
Erode through friction
- corrodeDestroy through chemical action
- weatherAtmospheric state outdoors
- decayGradual organic breakdown
crumble · degrade · gnaw · chafe · scour · whittle · atrophy · waste away · deteriorate · disintegrate
tiredness
State of needing rest
- wearinessState of being drained
- exhaustionState of utter depletion
- burnoutChronic occupational depletion
lethargy · enervation · debilitation · drained · sluggishness · languor · weakness · drowsiness · spent · sapped
- decliningdeclining, waning, fading, diminishing, decreasing
- deterioratingdecaying, decomposing, degrading, rotting, eroding
- Deteriorationdecay, rot, degradation, deterioration, corrosion
- fatigueexhaustion, tiredness, weariness, lethargy, chronic fatigue
- erosionerosion, beach erosion, river erosion, soil erosion, glacial erosion
- harassment tacticsharassment, hounding, pestering, badgering, nagging
wearing downbuilding up
Increasing gradually
restoring · preserving · reinforcing · strengthening · renewing
wearing downoverwhelming
Intensely excessive in force
crushing · blitzing · knocking out · annihilating · blitzkrieg
wearing downinvigorating
Imparting fresh energy
energizing · refreshing · reviving · rallying · emboldening
down, wear, worn, wearing, downtown, downpour, downward, wear out, downhill