Tail off Meaning in English
expression
ˈteɪɫ/ /ˈɔf
TAYL-awf
tˈeɪl/ /ˈɒf
TAYL-of
Definition
To become smaller, quieter, or weaker gradually, often until it disappears completely.
Usage & Nuances
'Tail off' is informal and often used for voices, numbers, activity, or trends when they decrease slowly. Not literal for animals' tails. Often appears in passive voice or continuous form: 'his voice tailed off'. Similar to 'peter out', but 'tail off' often implies a gradual end.
Spanish: disminuir gradualmente - ir apagándosePortuguese (BR): diminuir gradualmente - ir sumindoPortuguese (PT): diminuir gradualmente - ir esmorecendoChinese (Simplified): 逐渐减少 - 逐渐减弱Chinese (Traditional): 逐漸減少 - 逐漸減弱Hindi: धीरे-धीरे कम होना - मद्धम पड़ जानाArabic: يَتَضَاءَل تدريجيًا - يَنحَسِر تدريجيًاBengali: ধীরে ধীরে কমে যাওয়া - ম্লান হয়ে যাওয়াRussian: постепенно стихать - постепенно уменьшатьсяJapanese: 次第に弱まる - 徐々に消えるVietnamese: giảm dần - lắng dầnKorean: 점점 줄어들다 - 점차 사라지다Turkish: yavaş yavaş azalmak - giderek sona ermekUrdu: آہستہ آہستہ کم ہونا - مدھم پڑ جاناIndonesian: berangsur-angsur menurun - perlahan-lahan menghilang
Example Sentences
The crowd noise began to tail off after the final goal.
basic
Her voice tailed off as she got tired.
basic
The sales numbers tailed off at the end of the year.
basic
Let’s wait here until the rain tails off a bit.
natural
His enthusiasm really tailed off after the first week.
natural
The meeting discussion just tailed off because no one had anything new to add.
natural