abate

/ə-ˈbāt/

Middle English abaten, borrowed from Anglo-French abatre "to strike down, fell, reduce, put an end to," from a-, prefix in transitive verbs (going back to Latin ad- ad-batre "to beat," going back to Latin battuere, of uncertain origin

verb

  1. to decrease in force or intensity

  2. to become defeated or become null or void (as of a writ or appeal)

  3. to decrease in amount or value

waiting for the storm to abate

abate subside wane ebb mean to die down in force or intensity. abate stresses the idea of progressive diminishing. subside implies the ceasing of turbulence or agitation.