1 B2 idiomatic neutral
to gradually become quieter and then stop, especially when speaking
"He started explaining, then his voice trailed off."
inseparable
trail off
B2 neutral inseparable intransitive
to gradually become quieter, weaker, or less complete until stopping
In plain English
slowly get quieter or weaker and then stop
What does "trail off" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
to gradually become less in amount, strength, or interest
"Attendance trailed off after the first week of the festival."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
to extend off in a trailing way
Actually means
slowly get quieter or weaker and then stop
Usage tip
Very common with voices, conversations, interest, and written lines showing unfinished speech.
Words that pair with "trail off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
voice sentence conversation interest sound applause
How to conjugate "trail off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
trail off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
trails off
he/she/it
Past simple
trailed off
yesterday
Past participle
trailed off
have + pp
-ing form
trailing off
continuous
Hear "trail off" in the wild
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