1 B2 idiomatic neutral
To gradually decrease in strength, intensity, or amount over time.
"The heavy rain began to taper off by midday, and the skies cleared by the afternoon."
inseparable
taper off
B2 neutral inseparable intransitive
To gradually decrease in amount, intensity, or frequency until it stops or reaches a low level.
In plain English
To slowly get less and less until it's almost gone or much smaller.
What does "taper off" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 neutral
To gradually reduce the dose of a medication or the frequency of an activity in a controlled way.
"The doctor advised her to taper off the steroids over two weeks rather than stopping abruptly."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To become narrower and thinner like the end of a taper (candle) — gradually getting smaller.
Actually means
To slowly get less and less until it's almost gone or much smaller.
Usage tip
Common in medical, economic, and weather contexts. Very natural with subjects like rain, interest, sales, symptoms, or activity. The image comes from a taper (candle) getting thinner toward its tip.
Words that pair with "taper off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
rain sales enthusiasm symptoms growth activity conversation
How to conjugate "taper off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
taper off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
tapers off
he/she/it
Past simple
tapered off
yesterday
Past participle
tapered off
have + pp
-ing form
tapering off
continuous
Hear "taper off" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "taper off" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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