peter out

phrasal-verb
UK: /ˌpiːtər ˈaʊt/
US: /ˌpiːtər ˈaʊt/

  1. To gradually become smaller or weaker before stopping completely.

    1. The path will peter out soon, so be ready to turn back.
    2. Their enthusiasm for the project eventually began to peter out after several delays.

  2. To disappear or come to an end.

    1. The storm clouds seemed to peter out as quickly as they arrived.
    2. The band's popularity started to peter out after their lead singer left.

Synonyms

dwindle fade taper off diminish wane expire cease end
peter out intransitive-verb

  1. To gradually dwindle or cease to exist

    1. The oil well will peter out in a few years if they don't find more.
    2. The mining operation began to peter out as the deposits became harder to reach.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "peter out" in English means: To gradually become smaller or weaker before stopping completely., To disappear or come to an end..

The phonetic transcription of "peter out" is /ˌpiːtər ˈaʊt/ in British English and /ˌpiːtər ˈaʊt/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "peter out": dwindle, fade, taper off, diminish, wane, expire, cease, end.

Example usage of "peter out": "The path will peter out soon, so be ready to turn back.". More examples on the page.