Wear off, out

Meaning

The idiom "wear off, out" means to disappear or vanish over time, becoming less effective or useful. It can refer to anything from physical items to abstract concepts like emotions or ideas.

Usage

• The tires on my car have worn off over time and need to be replaced soon.
• My passion for painting has worn out in recent years and I haven't picked up a brush in ages.
• The buzz around the new iPhone 12 has started to wear off as people begin to realize that it's just another expensive smartphone.
• The excitement I felt when I first started my dream job has slowly worn out over the years and I now feel like I'm just going through the motions.
• The effectiveness of antibiotics has worn off in recent years as bacteria have become resistant to them, making it harder to fight infections.

Roots and History

The idiom "wear off" is believed to have originated from the idea that physical objects like clothes or shoes can wear out over time and need to be replaced. The figurative meaning of the phrase has expanded to include other types of things that can lose their effectiveness or usefulness. There are no significant changes in meaning or usage over time for this idiom.

Synonyms in English

• fade away
• disappear
• become obsolete
• lose their sparkle
• expire

Synonyms in other languages

• Spanish: desaparecer, pasar de moda, perder brillo
• French: disparaitre, devenir obsolète, perdre sa brillance
• German: verschwinden, verfallen, entdecken
• Italian: scomparire, diventare obsoleto, perdere lustro
• Japanese: 消える (shireru), 古い感になる (koui kan ni naru)

Similar Idioms

• when hell freezes over

• knock socks off

• worm in the apple