wear off — fade gradually (effect, feeling, or impact)
phrasal verbC1IELTS 7+neutraloccasional
If something such as a feeling, effect, or impact wears off, it gradually disappears or becomes less strong over time.
Say it like a native
Textbook The effects of the medication gradually dissipated.
Native The painkillers wore off after a few hours.
'Wear off' is the natural verb for an effect fading; 'dissipated' is formal.
Pattern: wear off (no object)
In use
- The pain from my headache finally wore off after a few hours.health
- I think the initial enthusiasm for online learning can wear off if students don't feel engaged or supported.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ The effect wore off down.
✓ The effect wore off.
'Wear off' already means fade — don't add 'down'.
Common collocations
wear off + effect— the painkillers, the novelty, the shock, after a while
Don't confuse it
At B1/B2, learners may know 'wear out' (for objects becoming unusable). 'Wear off' is different: it refers to something non-physical (like a feeling or effect) fading away.