ebb

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ebb

(ĕb)

1. The receding or outgoing tide, occurring between the time when the tide is highest and the time when the following tide is lowest. Also called ebb tide, falling tide.

2. A period of decline or diminution: "Insistence upon rules of conduct marks the ebb of religious fervor" (Alfred North Whitehead).

intr.v. ebbed, ebb·ing, ebbs

1. To fall back from the flood stage.

2. To fall away or back; decline or recede. See Synonyms at recede¹.

[Middle English ebbe, from Old English ebba; see apo- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ebb

(ɛb)

vb (intr)

1. (Physical Geography) (of tide water) to flow back or recede. Compare flow⁹

2. to fall away or decline

3. (Physical Geography)

a. the flowing back of the tide from high to low water or the period in which this takes place

b. (as modifier): the ebb tide. Compare flood³

4. at a low ebb in a state or period of weakness, lack of vigour, or decline

[Old English ebba; related to Old Norse efja river bend, Gothic ibuks moving backwards, Old High German ippihōn to roll backwards, Middle Dutch ebbe ebb]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ebb

(ɛb)

n.

1. the flowing back of the tide as the water returns to the sea.

2. a flowing backward or away; decline or decay.

3. a point or state of decline: His fortunes were at a low ebb.

v.i.

4. to flow back or away, as the water of a tide.

5. to decline or decay; fade away.

[before 1000; Middle English eb(be), Old English ebba]

ebb

- Suggests the receding of something (e.g. tides) that commonly comes and goes.

ebb

Past participle: ebbed
Gerund: ebbing

Imperative
ebb
ebb

Present
I ebb
you ebb
he/she/it ebbs
we ebb
you ebb
they ebb

Preterite
I ebbed
you ebbed
he/she/it ebbed
we ebbed
you ebbed
they ebbed

Present Continuous
I am ebbing
you are ebbing
he/she/it is ebbing
we are ebbing
you are ebbing
they are ebbing

Present Perfect
I have ebbed
you have ebbed
he/she/it has ebbed
we have ebbed
you have ebbed
they have ebbed

Past Continuous
I was ebbing
you were ebbing
he/she/it was ebbing
we were ebbing
you were ebbing
they were ebbing

Past Perfect
I had ebbed
you had ebbed
he/she/it had ebbed
we had ebbed
you had ebbed
they had ebbed

Future
I will ebb
you will ebb
he/she/it will ebb
we will ebb
you will ebb
they will ebb

Future Perfect
I will have ebbed
you will have ebbed
he/she/it will have ebbed
we will have ebbed
you will have ebbed
they will have ebbed

Future Continuous
I will be ebbing
you will be ebbing
he/she/it will be ebbing
we will be ebbing
you will be ebbing
they will be ebbing

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been ebbing
you have been ebbing
he/she/it has been ebbing
we have been ebbing
you have been ebbing
they have been ebbing

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been ebbing
you will have been ebbing
he/she/it will have been ebbing
we will have been ebbing
you will have been ebbing
they will have been ebbing

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been ebbing
you had been ebbing
he/she/it had been ebbing
we had been ebbing
you had been ebbing
they had been ebbing

Conditional
I would ebb
you would ebb
he/she/it would ebb
we would ebb
you would ebb
they would ebb

Past Conditional
I would have ebbed
you would have ebbed
he/she/it would have ebbed
we would have ebbed
you would have ebbed
they would have ebbed

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	ebb - a gradual decline (in size or strength or power or number) ebbing, wane decline, diminution - change toward something smaller or lower
	2.	ebb - the outward flow of the tide reflux ebbtide - the tide while water is flowing out flow, flowing - the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases)
Verb	1.	ebb - flow back or recede; "the tides ebbed at noon" ebb away, ebb down, ebb off, ebb out fall back - move back and away from; "The enemy fell back" tide, surge - rise or move forward; "surging waves"
	2.	ebb - hem in fish with stakes and nets so as to prevent them from going back into the sea with the ebb besiege, circumvent, hem in, beleaguer, surround - surround so as to force to give up; "The Turks besieged Vienna"
	3.	ebb - fall away or decline; "The patient's strength ebbed away" recede - become faint or more distant; "the unhappy memories of her childhood receded as she grew older"

ebb

verb

1. flow back, go out, withdraw, sink, retreat, fall back, wane, recede, fall away We hopped from rock to rock as the tide ebbed from the causeway.

2. decline, drop, sink, flag, weaken, shrink, diminish, decrease, deteriorate, decay, dwindle, lessen, subside, degenerate, fall away, fade away, abate, peter out, slacken There were occasions when my enthusiasm ebbed.

noun

1. flowing back, going out, withdrawal, retreat, wane, waning, regression, low water, low tide, ebb tide, outgoing tide, falling tide, receding tide We decided to leave on the ebb at six o'clock next morning.

2. decline, drop, sinking, flagging, weakening, decrease, decay, dwindling, lessening, deterioration, fading away, petering out, slackening, degeneration, subsidence, shrinkage, diminution the ebb of her creative powers

at a low ebb at a low point, at rock bottom, not successful, not profitable The Government's popularity is at a low ebb.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

ebb

noun

The act or process of becoming less active or intense:

abatement, letup, remission, slackening, subsidence, wane.

verb

1. To grow or cause to grow gradually less:

abate, decrease, diminish, drain, dwindle, lessen, let up, peter (out), rebate, reduce, tail away (or off), taper (off).

2. To move back or away from a point, limit, or mark:

recede, retract, retreat, retrocede, retrograde, retrogress.

3. To become or cause to become less active or intense:

abate, bate, die (away, down, off, or out), ease (off or up), fall, fall off, lapse, let up, moderate, remit, slacken, slack off, subside, wane.

Translations

يَقِل، يَتَضاءَل، يَضْعُفيَنْحَسِرُ المَد

odliv

ebbeebbe ud

Ebbe fallen versiegen

άμπωτη

bajamar

laskuvesiluode

descendre reflux

apad

fjara útfjara út, minnka

riflusso rifluire tramonto abbassarsi bassa

atoslūgismažėjantisprastõs būklėssenkantisslūgti

atplūstizsīktmazināties

ebebbe

ebbe ebbe ut

отлив

alçalmakazalmak çekilmek cezir

衰退退潮

ebb

[eb]

A. N [of tide] → reflujo m
the ebb and flow [of tide] → el flujo y reflujo (fig) → los altibajos
to be at a low ebb [person, spirits] → estar decaído; [business] → estar de capa caída
at a low ebb in his fortunes → en un bache de su vida

B. VI → bajar, menguar (fig) → decaer
to ebb and flow [tide] → fluir y refluir
life is ebbing from him → le están abandonando sus últimas fuerzas

C. CPD ebb tide N → marea f baja, bajamar f

ebb away VI + ADV (fig) → menguar, disminuir

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

ebb

[ˈɛb]

[tide] → reflux m
on the ebb (ebb tide) → à la marée descendante

(fig) the ebb and flow of → le flux et le reflux de, les fluctuations de
to be at a low ebb [fortunes] → être bien bas(se), aller mal; [person] → être bien bas(se)
to be at one's lowest ebb [person] → être au plus bas

[tide] → refluer

(= decline) → décliner

ebb away

vi [strength, support, life] → déclinerebb tide n → marée f descendante, reflux m

ebb

n → Ebbe f; the tide is on the ebb → es ist Ebbe; ebb and flow → Ebbe und Flut f; (fig) → Auf und Ab nt; at a low ebb (fig) → auf einem Tiefstand; their popularity is at its lowest ebb → ihre Beliebtheit hat einen absoluten Tiefpunkt erreicht

(tide) → zurückgehen; to ebb and flow (lit, fig) → kommen und gehen

(fig: also ebb away, enthusiasm etc) → abebben, verebben; (life) → zu Ende gehen

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

ebb

[ɛb]

1. n (of tide) → riflusso
ebb and flow → flusso e riflusso
to be at a low ebb (fig) (person, spirits) → avere il morale a terra (000, business) → andar male → diminuire

2. vi → rifluire (fig) (also ebb away) to ebb and flow (tide) → fluire e rifluire
his strength was ebbing fast → le forze gli venivano meno rapidamente

ebb

(eb)

1. (of the tide) to go out from the land. The tide began to ebb.

2. to become less. His strength was ebbing fast.

ebb tide

the ebbing tide. They sailed on the ebb tide.

at a low ebb

in a poor or depressed state. She was at a low ebb after the operation.

on the ebb

ebbing or getting less. His power is on the ebb.

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

In the second place, the ebb was now making--a strong rippling current running westward through the basin, and then south'ard and seaward down the straits by which we had entered in the morning.

View in context

And meet it is, that over these sea-pastures, wide-rolling watery prairies and Potters' Fields of all four continents, the waves should rise and fall, and ebb and flow unceasingly; for here, millions of mixed shades and shadows, drowned dreams, somnambulisms, reveries; all that we call lives and souls, lie dreaming, dreaming, still; tossing like slumberers in their beds; the ever-rolling waves but made so by their restlessness.

View in context

He said they would get under way as soon as the ebb set, and expressed his gladness to be out of a port where there were no taverns and fiddlers; but all with such horrifying oaths, that I made haste to get away from him.

View in context

Ye are ashamed of your flow, and others are ashamed of their ebb.

View in context

The tides sweep through Carquinez Straits as in a mill-race, and the full ebb was on when I stumbled overboard.

View in context

For this purpose, return all to your posts; within an hour, we shall have the ebb of the tide.

View in context

His fortune was then at a very low ebb, the source being stopt from which hitherto he had been supplied.

View in context

At first sight it appears not a little remarkable that the fresh water should regularly ebb and flow with the tides; and it has even been imagined, that sand has the power of filtering the salt from the sea-water.

View in context

that the tide of ebb setting from the west, and joining with the current of waters from some great river on the shore, must be the occasion of this current, and that, according as the wind blew more forcibly from the west or from the north, this current came nearer or went farther from the shore; for, waiting thereabouts till evening, I went up to the rock again, and then the tide of ebb being made, I plainly saw the current again as before, only that it ran farther off, being near half a league from the shore, whereas in my case it set close upon the shore, and hurried me and my canoe along with it, which at another time it would not have done.

View in context

The third is incident to the other two; and that is the decay of customs of kings or states, which ebb or flow, with merchandizing.

View in context

But Maria Silva read a different tale in the hollow cheeks and the burning eyes, and she noted the changes in them from day to day, by them following the ebb and flow of his fortunes.

View in context

Slack water had come, and, as the ebb was commencing, there was need for hurry if we cared to escape waiting half a day for the next tide.