[Vocabulary] what's the opposite of this?

Status
Not open for further replies.

dilodi83

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2006
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Italian
Home Country
Italy
Current Location
Italy
- On the south coast winds will pick up during the afternoon, becoming strong by the evening.

I think the verb in bold means "to start becoming stronger", am I right?
Now, is it pick down or calm down the opposite of this verb? I mean, how to say that winds are becoming weaker?
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
You are right.

Winds drop, fall, decrease or lessen
 

dilodi83

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2006
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Italian
Home Country
Italy
Current Location
Italy
You are right.

Winds drop, fall, decrease or lessen

what about "to blow over" referring to winds? Could this be an opposite verb to "pick up"?
 

Barb_D

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
No, a storm blows over when it's done.

Winds pick up, winds drop off. (Or decrease or lessen, as stated above, but "drop off" is the most common one I hear.)
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
COCA gives 19 examples of 'wind dropped', and none of 'wind dropped off'.

I saw that three of the 'wind dropped' examples were not relevant - 'The wind dropped the handkerchief', for example - but that still leaves 16.
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
I would say that winds "die down".
 

BobK

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 29, 2006
Location
Spencers Wood, near Reading, UK
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
No, a storm blows over when it's done.

Winds pick up, winds drop off. (Or decrease or lessen, as stated above, but "drop off" is the most common one I hear.)
... or a tree blows over in a storm. ;-)

Winds also 'die down' (as emsr2d2 has said) - but this is usually quite a dramatic change; often they just 'ease off' rather than dying down completely.

(So many things for winds to do. I'm glad I don't have to learn this stuff. ;-))

b
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
... or a tree blows over in a storm. ;-)

Winds also 'die down' (as emsr2d2 has said) - but this is usually quite a dramatic change; often they just 'ease off' rather than dying down completely.

(So many things for winds to do. I'm glad I don't have to learn this stuff. ;-))

b

If a wind suddenly died down, I would agree that it's a dramatic change. However, surely they can gradually die down over a period of time.
 

BobK

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 29, 2006
Location
Spencers Wood, near Reading, UK
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
If a wind suddenly died down, I would agree that it's a dramatic change. However, surely they can gradually die down over a period of time.

Yes - I thought - as I was writing it - that 'dramatic' was the wrong word; perhaps 'measurable' or 'perceptible'... but they're still not right. ;-)

b
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top