Wear off meaning
Wear off means to slowly become weaker and then stop, like a feeling or the effect of a drug. It can also mean to slowly disappear from a surface because it is rubbed or used.
wear off
wear off · wore · worn · wearing
The painkiller is starting to wear off.
Wear off meanings and examples
2 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
-
1
Slowly become weaker and then stop, like a feeling or the effect of a drug
wear off
- The painkiller is starting to wear off.
- The excitement of the new job soon wore off.
- Has the coffee worn off already?
-
2
Slowly disappear from a surface because it is rubbed or used
wear off
- The letters on my keyboard have worn off.
- The paint on the old door is wearing off.
- Will the gold colour wear off if I wear it every day?
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use wear off in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is wear off separable?
Wear off has no object. The feeling or effect is the subject: The pain wore off. You cannot say wear the pain off.
The novelty wore off is a very common phrase: something new stopped being exciting. Do not mix it up with wear out, which is about things breaking or people getting tired.
Verb tenses for wear off
| Present | I wear off · she wears off |
|---|---|
| Past | wore off |
| Present perfect | have worn off |
| -ing form | wearing off |
Common mistakes with wear off
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: I took a pill, and it wore off my headache.
Right: I took a pill, and my headache went away.
Wear off has no object. The effect itself wears off.
Wrong: The medicine has weared off.
Right: The medicine has worn off.
The past participle of wear is worn.
Wrong: My shoes have worn off, so I need new ones.
Right: My shoes have worn out, so I need new ones.
Things that break from use wear out. Effects and paint wear off.
Synonyms and opposites of wear off
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- fadeslowly become weaker, for colours, sounds or feelings
- go awaystop, often a pain or a problem
- wear outbecome damaged from use, or make someone tired
Opposite
- kick ininformal; a drug or effect starts to work
- build upslowly become stronger
Wear off quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
-
1The dentist’s injection will ___ in about two hours.
Wear off means an effect slowly stops.
-
2Choose the right sentence.
Wear off has no object, and the participle is worn.
-
3“The numbers on my phone case have worn off.” What happened?
Paint or print can wear off when it is rubbed for a long time.
More phrasal verbs with wear
2 phrasal verbs start with wear. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
Wear off FAQ
Questions people ask about wear off.
What does the novelty wore off mean?
It means something new stopped being exciting. I loved my new phone, but the novelty wore off after a week.
Wear off vs wear out: what is the difference?
Wear off is for effects and feelings that stop, and for paint that rubs away. Wear out is for things that break from use, or people who get tired.
How long does it take for caffeine to wear off?
It is different for everyone, but many people feel it for several hours. In English you can say: The coffee wears off after about five hours.
Use wear off in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.