corrode

verb

cor·​rode kə-ˈrōd 

corroded; corroding

transitive verb

1

: to eat away by degrees as if by gnawing

especially : to wear away gradually usually by chemical action

the metal was corroded beyond repair

2

: to weaken or destroy gradually : undermine

manners and miserliness that corrode the human spirit

—Bernard De Voto

intransitive verb

: to undergo corrosion

corrodible

kə-ˈrō-də-bəl 

adjective

Did you know?

Corrode comes from Latin corrodere ("to gnaw to pieces"), a combination of the prefix "cor-" (used here as an intensifier with the meaning of "completely") and the verb "rodere" ("to gnaw"). At one time, "corrode" was used to literally indicate the action of gnawing away, as in "woodworms corroded the wood." But it is the more figurative senses from the action of gnawing or eating away that have persisted, as in "salt water corroded the iron" or "graphic content on television and the Internet is corroding the moral fabric of society."

Synonyms

• bite (at)
• eat
• erode
• fret
• gnaw
• nibble

Examples of corrode in a Sentence

Rainwater may corrode the steel containers.

Over time, the pipes become corroded and need to be replaced.

After a few weeks in the ocean, the boat began to corrode.

Years of lies and secrets had corroded their relationship.

Recent Examples on the Web

Yet critics insist on revisiting the women in combat debate, distracting from actual issues and corroding the unity essential to military strength. —Marissa Loya, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Jan. 2025

Social mores have been corroded by the banalization of violence, and patriotism is now seen as the willingness to sell oneself to the trenches for an ever-higher price, in the form of lavish enlistment bonuses and salaries. —Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 23 Jan. 2025

Even the greatest saints were sinners and everything in reality, even the most beautiful things, are corroded by evil: everything, except Mary. —Christine Rousselle, Fox News, 15 Dec. 2024

However, the mounting issues corroding the Emilia Pérez Oscar campaign are pretty extraordinary — and even make the controversy surrounding 2019 Best Picture Green Book look quaint in comparison. —Kyndall Cunningham, Vox, 28 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English corroden, borrowed from Latin corrōdere "to gnaw, chew up," from cor-, variant before r of com- com- + rōdere "to gnaw, nibble, eat away" — more at rodent

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

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Kids Definition

corrode

verb

cor·​rode kə-ˈrōd 

corroded; corroding

: to eat or be eaten away by degrees as if by gnawing

a bridge corroded by rust

Medical Definition

corrode

verb

cor·​rode kə-ˈrōd 

corroded; corroding

transitive verb

: to eat away by degrees as if by gnawing

especially : to wear away gradually usually by chemical action

intransitive verb

: to undergo corrosion