• (RP, America) IPA: /əˈbeɪt/

From Middle English abaten, from Anglo-Norman abatre, from Late Latin abbatto, from Latin batto.

The verb is derived from Middle English abaten [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman abater, abatier, abatre, abbatre, Middle French abattre, abatre, abattre, Old French abatre, abattre, from Late Latin abbatto, from Latin ab- + Latin batto, from older battuere, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰedʰ-).

The noun is derived from the verb.

abate (abates, present participle abating; simple past and past participle abated)

1. (transitive)
   1. To lessen (something) in force or intensity; to moderate. [from 14th c.]

      Synonyms: alleviate, assuage, diminish, lower, mitigate, relax, remit, temper

      Antonyms: aggravate, amplify, augment, enhance, foment, increase, intensify, magnify, raise

      • 1664, J[ohn] E[velyn], “Pomona, or An Appendix Concerning Fruit-trees, in Relation to Cider, […]. Chapter VI. Of Transplanting, and Distance.”, in Sylva, or A Discourse of Forest-trees and the Propagation of Timber in His Majesties Dominions. […], London: […] Jo[hn] Martyn, and Ja[mes] Allestry, printers to the Royal Society, […], →OCLC ↗, page 17 ↗:

        By the oft removal of a Wild-ſtock, cutting the ends of the Roots, and diſ-branching ſomewhat of the Head at every change of place, it will greatly abate of its natural wildneſs, and in time bring forth more civil and ingenuous Fruit: […]

      • 1670, Izaack Walton [i.e., Izaak Walton], “The Life of Mr George Herbert. […]”, in George Herbert, edited by Alexander B[alloch] Grosart, The Complete Works in Verse and Prose of George Herbert. […] (The Fuller Worthies’ Library), volume III (Prose), London: […] [Robson and Sons] for private circulation, published 1874, →OCLC ↗, page 36 ↗:

        And it is to be noted that in the sharpest of his extreme fits he [George Herbert] would often say, 'Lord, abate my great affliction, or increase my patience; but, Lord, I repine not; I am dumb, Lord, before Thee, because Thou doest it.'

      • 1759, William Robertson, “Book II”, in The History of Scotland, during the Reigns of Queen Mary and of King James VI, till His Accession to the Crown of England. […], volume I, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar […], →OCLC ↗, [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=osu.32435025879099;view=1up;seq=100 page 86]:

        In the one period, an hundred and fifty years of peace between the two nations, the habit of being ſubjected to the ſame King, and governed by the ſame maxims, had conſiderably abated old animoſities, and prepared both people for incorporating.

      • 1859, John Stuart Mill, “Of the Liberty of Thought and Discussion”, in On Liberty, London: John W[illiam] Parker and Son, […], →OCLC ↗, pages 68–69 ↗:

        To abate the force of these considerations, an enemy of free discussion may be supposed to say, that there is no necessity for mankind in general to know and understand all that can be said against or for the opinions by philosophers and theologians.

   2. To reduce (something) in amount or size. [from 14th c.]

      Synonyms: decrease, lessen

      Antonyms: enlarge, increase

      • 1814, Robert Southey, “Notes”, in Roderick, the Last of the Goths, London: […] [F]or Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […], by James Ballantyne and Co. […], →OCLC ↗, page cxi ↗:

        And receive into thy heart the instructions that I shall give thee now, and see that thou swerve not from them, nor abatest them a jot; for if thou observest them not, or departest in aught from them, thou wilt bring damnation upon thy soul; […]

      • 1822, [Walter Scott], chapter IV, in Peveril of the Peak. […], volume III, Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., →OCLC ↗, page 100 ↗:

        […] Lance, after having made some shew of helping him to his horse, ran back to tell his master the joyful intelligence, that a lucky accident had abated Chiffinch's party to their own number.

      1. To cut away or hammer down (material from metalwork, a sculpture, etc.) in such a way as to leave a figure in relief.
   3. To lower (something) in price or value. [from mid 14th c.]
      • 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XVII, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC ↗, page 201 ↗:

        Few words drive a bargain with Peter Eskett. I never abate one farthing of my price; but then that price never asks more than a fair profit.

   4. (archaic)
      1. To demolish or level to the ground (a building or other structure). [from early 15th c.]
         • 1550, Edward Hall, “[The Triumphant Reigne of Kyng Henry the VIII.] The .V. Yere.”, in The Vnion of the Two Noble and Illustre Famelies of Lancastre & Yorke, Beyng Long in Continuall Discension for the Croune of this Noble Realme, […], London: […] Rychard Grafton, […] [and Steven Mierdman], →OCLC ↗, folio xxxviij, recto ↗:

           […] the kyng of Scottes […] with all hys hoſte and power entered into Englande (and threw doune pyles) the .xxij. daye of August, and planted hys ſiege before the Caſtell of Norham, and ſore abated the walles.

      2. To give no consideration to (something); to treat as an exception. [from late 16th c.]
         • c. 1595–1596 (date written), W. Shakespere [i.e., William Shakespeare], A Pleasant Conceited Comedie Called, Loues Labors Lost. […] (First Quarto), London: […] W[illiam] W[hite] for Cut[h]bert Burby, published 1598, →OCLC ↗; republished as Shakspere’s Loves Labours Lost (Shakspere-Quarto Facsimiles; no. 5), London: W[illiam] Griggs, […], [1880], →OCLC ↗, [Act V, scene ii] ↗:

           Abate throw at Nouum, and the whole world againe,
           Cannot picke out fiue ſuch, take each one in his vaine.

         • 1791, James Boswell, “[1772]”, in The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. […], volume I, London: […] Henry Baldwin, for Charles Dilly, […], →OCLC ↗, page 353 ↗:

           Sir, he was not Scotch; and, abating his brutality, he was a very good maſter.

      3. (chiefly, figuratively) To dull (an edge, point, etc.); to blunt. [from mid 16th c.]
         • c. 1593 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The Tragedy of King Richard the Third. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Valentine Sims [and Peter Short] for Andrew Wise, […], published 1597, →OCLC ↗, [Act V, scene viii] ↗:

           Abate the edge of traitors gracious Lord,
           That vvould reduce theſe bloudy daies againe,
           And make poore England vveepe in ſtreames of bloud, […]

         • 1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Enuy. IX.”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC ↗, pages 45–46 ↗:

           Wherefore you ſhall obſerue that the more deepe, and ſober ſort of Politique perſons, in their Greatneſſe, are euer bemoaning themſelues, what a Life they lead; Chanting a Quanta patimur. Not that they feele it ſo, but onely to abate the Edge of Enuy.

   5. (law)
      1. To make (a writ or other legal document) void; to nullify. [from late 15th c.]

         to abate a writ

      2. To put an end to (a nuisance).

         She was ordered by the court to abate the nuisance.

         • 1768, William Blackstone, “Of Courts in General”, in Commentaries on the Laws of England, book III (Of Private Wrongs), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, →OCLC ↗, page 22 ↗:

           […] the law allows an extrajudicial remedy, yet that does not exclude the ordinary courſe of juſtice: […] I may either abate a nuſance by my own authority, or call upon the law to do it for me: […]

      3. (chiefly, US) To dismiss or otherwise bring to an end (legal proceedings) before they are completed, especially on procedural grounds rather than on the merits.
   6. (obsolete)
      1. To curtail or end (something); to cause to cease. [14th–17th c.]

         Synonyms: cut short, stop, suppress, terminate

         To order restrictions to abate an emergency.

      2. To give (someone) a discount or rebate; also, to relieve (someone) of a debt. [15th–19th c.]
         • 1771–1790, Benjamin Franklin, “The Autobiography [Part 1]”, in John Bigelow, editor, Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. […], Philadelphia, Pa.: J[oshua] B[allinger] Lippincott & Co., published 1868, →OCLC ↗, page 150 ↗:

           […] when I talk'd of a lodging I had heard of, nearer my business, for two shillings a week, which, intent as I now was on saving money, made some difference, she bid me not think of it, for she would abate me two shillings a week for the future; so I remained with her at one shilling and sixpence as long as I staid in London.

      3. To bring down (someone) mentally or physically; to lower (someone) in status. [14th–17th c.]

         Synonyms: abase, depress, humble

         • 1653, Jeremy Taylor, “Twenty-five Sermons Preached at Golden Grove; Being for the Winter Half-year, […]: Sermon IX. The faith and patience of the saints; or, the righteous cause oppressed.”, in Reginald Heber, editor, The Whole Works of the Right Rev. Jeremy Taylor, D.D. […], volume V, London: Ogle, Duncan, and Co. […]; and Richard Priestley, […], published 1822, →OCLC ↗, page 523 ↗:

           So long as the world lived by sense, and discourses of natural reason, as they were abated with human infirmities, and not at all heightened by the Spirit and divine revelation […]

      4. Chiefly followed by from, of, etc.: to omit or remove (a part from a whole); to deduct, to subtract. [15th–19th c.]

         We will abate this price from the total.

         • 1655, Thomas Fuller, “Section III. To the Right Worshipful Sir Richard Shugborough, of Shugborough in Warwickshire.”, in The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC ↗, book, subsection 30–43 (Pope’s Profit by Sale of Trinkets, […]), page 54 ↗:

           Peter-pence succeeded; granted by Ina, king of the West Saxons, to pope Gregory II. anno 626. It was a penny paid for every chimney that smoked in England, which in that hospitable age had few smokeless ones; […] Now, though none can tell what these amounted to, yet conjecture may be made, by descending to such proportions, which no rational man will deny. Allowing nine thousand parishes (abating the odd hundreds) in England and Wales, a hundred houses in every parish, two chimneys in every house, one with another, it ariseth unto a yearly sum of seven thousand five hundred pounds.

         • 1881, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], “The Prince a Prisoner”, in The Prince and the Pauper: A Tale for Young People of All Ages, Montreal, Que.: Dawson Brothers, →OCLC ↗, page 186 ↗:

           Three shillings and eightpence, your worship—I could not abate a penny and set forth the value honestly.

      5. Chiefly followed by of: to deprive (someone or something of another thing). [15th–19th c.]
         • c. 1603–1606 (date written), [William Shakespeare], […] His True Chronicle Historie of the Life and Death of King Lear and His Three Daughters. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Nathaniel Butter, […], published 1608, →OCLC ↗, [Act II, scene ii] ↗:

           She hath abated me of halfe my traine,
           Lookt blacke vpon me, ſtrooke mee with her tongue
           Moſt Serpent-like vpon the very heart, […]

2. (intransitive)
   1. To decrease in force or intensity; to subside. [from 14th c.]

      Synonyms: decline, ebb, slacken, soften, wane

      • 1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], “March. Ægloga Tertia.”, in The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Hugh Singleton, […], →OCLC ↗, folio 10, recto ↗:

        [folio 8, verso ↗] For Winters wrath beginnes to quell,
        And pleaſant ſpryng appeareth. […] [folio 10, recto ↗] Gloss. […] To quell) to abate.

      • 1599 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The Cronicle History of Henry the Fift, […] (First Quarto), London: […] Thomas Creede, for Tho[mas] Millington, and Iohn Busby […], published 1600, →OCLC ↗, [Act IV, scene iv] ↗:

        My fury ſhall abate,
        And I the Crownes will take.

      • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, Deuteronomy 34:7 ↗, column 1:

        And Moſes was an hundred and twentie yeeres olde when he died: his eye was not dimme, nor his naturall force abated.

      • 1697, Virgil, “The First Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC ↗, page 63 ↗, lines 463–466:

        When Winter's rage abates, when chearful Hours
        Awake the Spring, and Spring awakes the Flow'rs,
        On the green Turf thy careleſs Limbs diſplay,
        And celebrate the mighty Mother's day.

      • 1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC ↗, page 163 ↗:

        The third Day in the Morning, the Wind having abated over Night, the Sea was calm, and I ventur'd; but I am a warning Piece again to all raſh and ignorant Pilots; for no ſooner was I come to the Point, when even I was not my Boat's Length from the Shore, but I found my ſelf in a great Depth of Water, and a Current like the Sluice of a Mill: […]

      • 1849, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter II, in The History of England from the Accession of James II, volume I, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC ↗, page 231 ↗:

        […] during the eighteen years which had elapsed since the Restoration, the hatred of Puritanism had abated, and the hatred of Popery had increased.

   2. To decrease in amount or size. [from mid 16th c.]
      • 1560, [William Whittingham et al., transl.], The Bible and Holy Scriptures Conteyned in the Olde and Newe Testament. […] (the Geneva Bible), Geneva: […] Rouland Hall, →OCLC ↗, Genesis VIII:3, folio 4, recto ↗:

        And the waters returned from aboue the earth, going and returning: and after the end of the hundreth and fiftieth day the waters abated.

      • a. 1627 (date written), Francis Bacon, “Of the True Greatness of the Kingdom of Britain”, in James Spedding, Robert Leslie Ellis, and Douglas Denon Heath, editors, The Works of Francis Bacon, […], volume VII, London: Longman, Green, and Co.;  […], published 1859, →OCLC ↗, page 60 ↗:

        […] the same greatness of wealth is for the most part not collected and obtained without sucking it from many, according to the received similitude of the spleen, which never swelleth but when the rest of the body pineth and abateth.

      • 1851 November 13, Herman Melville, “The Chase.—Third Day.”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC ↗, page 629 ↗:

        Whether fagged by the three days' running chase, and the resistance to his swimming in the knotted hamper he bore; or whether it was some latent deceitfulness and malice in him: whichever was true, the White Whale's way now began to abate, as it seemed, from the boat so rapidly nearing him once more; though indeed the whale's last start had not been so long a one as before.

   3. To lower in price or value; (law) specifically, of a bequest in a will: to lower in value because the testator's estate is insufficient to satisfy all the bequests in full. [from early 18th c.]

      Bequests and legacies are liable to be abated entirely or in proportion, upon a deficiency of assets.

      • 1766, William Blackstone, “Of Title by Testament, and Administration”, in Commentaries on the Laws of England, book II (Of the Rights of Things), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, →OCLC ↗, pages 512–513 ↗:

        And in the caſe of a deficiency of aſſets, all the general legacies muſt abate proportionably, in order to pay the debts; but a ſpecific legacy (of a piece of plate, a horſe, or the like) is not to abate at all, or allow any thing by way of abatement, unleſs there be not ſufficient without it.

   4. (archaic, chiefly, figuratively) Of an edge, point, etc.: to become blunt or dull. [from mid 16th c.]
      • 1550, Edward Hall, “[The Triumphant Reigne of Kyng Henry the VIII.] The .XVI. Yere.”, in The Vnion of the Two Noble and Illustre Famelies of Lancastre & Yorke, Beyng Long in Continuall Discension for the Croune of this Noble Realme, […], London: […] Rychard Grafton, […] [and Steven Mierdman], →OCLC ↗, folio cxxxiij, verso ↗:

        The third ſhild yelow, ſignifying the Barriers, and he that toucheth that ſhilde ſhalbee anſwered twelve ſtrokes at the Barriers, wyth the ſworde, edge and poynt abated.

   5. (law)
      1. (chiefly, historical) Of a writ or other legal document: to become null and void; to cease to have effect. [from late 15th c.]

         The writ has abated.

      2. (chiefly, US) Of legal proceedings: to be dismissed or otherwise brought to an end before they are completed, especially on procedural grounds rather than on the merits.
         • 1768, William Blackstone, “Of Pleading”, in Commentaries on the Laws of England, book III (Of Private Wrongs), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, →OCLC ↗, page 302 ↗:

           […] in actions ariſing ex contractu, by breach of promiſe and the like, where the right deſcends to the repreſentatives of the plaintiff, and thoſe of the defendant have aſſets to anſwer the demand, though the ſuits ſhall abate by the death of the parties, yet they may be revived againſt or by the executors: being indeed rather actions againſt the property than the perſon, in which the executors now have the ſame intereſt that their teſtator had before.

   6. (obsolete)
      1. To give a discount or rebate; to discount, to rebate. [16th–19th c.]
      2. To bow down; hence, to be abased or humbled. [14th–17th c.]
      3. Chiefly followed by of: to deduct or subtract from. [15th–19th c.]
         • 1810, Walter Scott, “Canto V. The Combat.”, in The Lady of the Lake; […], Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for John Ballantyne and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme, and William Miller, →OCLC ↗, stanza III, page 194 ↗:

           So toilsome was the road to trace,
           The guide, abating of his pace,
           Led slowly through the pass's jaws, […]

         • 1849, Herman Melville, “Taji Takes Counsel with Himself”, in Mardi: And a Voyage Thither. […], volume I, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, publishers, […], →OCLC ↗, pages 208–209 ↗:

           So then, weighing all things well, and myself severely, I resolved to follow my Mentor's wise counsel; neither arrogating aught, nor abating of just dues; but circulating freely, sociably, and frankly, among the gods, heroes, high-priests, kings, and gentlemen, that made up the principalities of Mardi.

• See also Thesaurus:destroy

• abatis
• abator
• abattoir

• French: amoindrir, diminuer, descendre, réduire, ralentir
• German: nachlassen, legen storm, schwächen, abschwächen, vermindern, verringern
• Italian: abbassare, diminuire
• Portuguese: diminuir, descer, declinar
• Russian: уменьша́ться
• Spanish: reducir

• French: rabattre
• German: vermindern, verringern, verkleinern, herabsetzen
• Italian: ridurre, calare
• Spanish: reducir

• French: réduire
• Italian: ribassare
• Spanish: reducir

• French: cesser
• German: beenden, einstellen
• Portuguese: cessar

• German: absehen von, ausnehmen
• Portuguese: barrar, excluir

• Italian: annullare, estinguere, eliminare

• Italian: alleviare, lenire, mitigare

• French: abattre physically, abaisser, déprimer mentally
• German: nachlassen, zurückgehen, erniedrigen, herabsetzen
• Portuguese: abater, diminuir, embotar
• Spanish: abatir, humillar

• French: déduire, retrancher
• German: abziehen, reduzieren, weglassen
• Portuguese: deduzir

• Italian: diminuire, ridursi, indebolirsi

• Italian: ridursi

• Italian: annullare, estinguere, eliminare

abate (obsolete)

1. (uncountable) Abatement; reduction; (countable) an instance of this. [15th–17th c.]
2. (uncountable) Deduction; subtraction; (countable) an instance of this. [17th c.]
   • 1650, Thomas Browne, “Concerning Weight”, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC ↗, 4th book, page 167 ↗:

     That men weigh heavier dead than alive, if experiment hath not failed us, we cannot reaſonably grant. For though the triall hereof cannot ſo well be made on the body of Man, nor will the difference be ſenſible in the abate of ſcruples or dragmes, yet can we not confirm the ſame in leſſer animalls from whence the inference is good; […]

From Anglo-Norman abatre, probably an alteration of Anglo-Norman - and Middle French embatre, enbatre (compare Late Latin abatare), from Middle French -, Old French em-, en- + Middle French -, Old French batre (from Latin battere, battuere, the present active infinitive of battuō; see further at etymology 1).

abate (abates, present participle abating; simple past and past participle abated)

1. (ambitransitive, law, chiefly, historical) To enter upon and unlawfully seize (land) after the owner has died, thus preventing an heir from taking possession of it. [from mid 15th c.]

Borrowed from Italian abate, from Latin abbātem, the accusative singular of abbās, from Ancient Greek ἀββᾶς, a variant of ἀββᾱ, from Aramaic אַבָּא, from sem-pro *ʔabw-, ultimately imitative of a child’s word for “father”.

abate (plural abates)

1. An Italian abbot or other member of the clergy. [from early 18th c.]

• Italian: abate

Borrowed from Italian Abate.

1. Surname.