- 1[intransitive] to move gradually away from somebody or away from a previous position The sound of the truck receded into the distance. She watched his receding figure. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adverba bit, a little, slightly, … prepositionfrom phrasesrecede into the background, recede into the distance See full entry
- 2[intransitive] (especially of a problem, feeling or quality) to become gradually weaker or smaller The prospect of bankruptcy has now receded (= it is less likely). The pain was receding slightly. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adverba bit, a little, slightly, … prepositionfrom phrasesrecede into the background, recede into the distance See full entry
- 3[intransitive] (of hair) to stop growing at the front of the head a middle-aged man with receding hair/a receding hairline Oxford Collocations Dictionary adverba bit, a little, slightly, … prepositionfrom phrasesrecede into the background, recede into the distance See full entry See related entries: Styling hair
- 4[intransitive] a recede chin a chin that slopes backwards towards the neck Word Originlate 15th cent. (in the sense ‘depart from a usual state or standard’): from Latin recedere, from re- ‘back’ + cedere ‘go’.Extra examples His footsteps receded into the distance. The January flood waters receded as fast as they had risen. The pain was gradually receding. The water receded back to its mysterious depths. These worries now receded from his mind.
recede
verbBrE BrE//rɪˈsiːd//; NAmE NAmE//rɪˈsiːd//
Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they recede BrE BrE//rɪˈsiːd//; NAmE NAmE//rɪˈsiːd//
he / she / it recedes BrE BrE//rɪˈsiːdz//; NAmE NAmE//rɪˈsiːdz//
past simple receded BrE BrE//rɪˈsiːdɪd//; NAmE NAmE//rɪˈsiːdɪd//
past participle receded BrE BrE//rɪˈsiːdɪd//; NAmE NAmE//rɪˈsiːdɪd//
-ing form receding BrE BrE//rɪˈsiːdɪŋ//; NAmE NAmE//rɪˈsiːdɪŋ//
Styling hair
Check pronunciation: recede
