wear off
phrasal verb
wore off; worn off; wearing off; wears off
: to gradually decrease, disappear, or stop
The painkillers wore off after a couple of hours.
The shine on the leather will wear off pretty quickly.
After you drive a new car for a while, the novelty wears off.
Examples of wear off in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Even the fun of seeing giant old-timey robots, who appear to have been designed by a metalworker in Portland, Oregon, with a curly mustache, on a rampage wears off quickly.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2025
The shock of the trade itself may be wearing off for everybody, but seeing Marchand in the Panthers’ colors was one more jolt to the system.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 11 Mar. 2025
Both of these methods rely on the use of toxic chemicals and, in the case of the coatings, the unique properties conveyed to the glass can wear off over time.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 2 Mar. 2025
For those who were vaccinated for measles many decades ago, there’s a chance the protection has worn off by now.
—Melissa Rudy, Fox News, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wear off
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2025
The shock of the trade itself may be wearing off for everybody, but seeing Marchand in the Panthers’ colors was one more jolt to the system.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 11 Mar. 2025
Both of these methods rely on the use of toxic chemicals and, in the case of the coatings, the unique properties conveyed to the glass can wear off over time.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 2 Mar. 2025
For those who were vaccinated for measles many decades ago, there’s a chance the protection has worn off by now.
—Melissa Rudy, Fox News, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wear off
Cite this Entry
“Wear off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wear%20off. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share