trail off

verb

Of a phenomenon, voice, etc.: to slowly diminish in frequency, intensity, or volume; also, to diminish more quickly over time.

““So that’s why I’m, uh, refusing … uh, to do that …” He trailed off as he saw Mr. Winchester’s disapproving stare.”

Similar
peterpeter out
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Meanings

verbtrail off (third-person singular simple present trails off, present participle trailing off, simple past and past participle trailed off)

present singular third person trails off · participle present trailing off · participle past trailed off · past trailed off · alternative trail away

  1. Of a phenomenon, voice, etc.: to slowly diminish in frequency, intensity, or volume; also, to diminish more quickly over time.

    “So that’s why I’m, uh, refusing … uh, to do that …” He trailed off as he saw Mr. Winchester’s disapproving stare.

    1 more example

    Four-fifths of the way through the piece, a kind of spell breaks. Something changes in the atmosphere of the auditorium. The temperature in the huge room seems to rise by several degrees. More concerningly and noticeably, the music behind Wheeler begins to trail off. The conductor stops too.

    2019 April 10, qntm, “CASE HATE RED”, in There Is No Antimemetics Division, →ISBN, page 137

    Synonyms: peter, peter out

Synonyms & antonyms

verbOf a phenomenon, voice, etc.: to slowly diminish in frequency, intensity, or volume; also, to diminish more quickly over time.

Similar
peterpeter out
Also see
dwindlepeter out

Translations

French diminuer, s'éteindre
  • diminuerslowly diminish in frequency, intensity, or volume
  • s'éteindreslowly diminish in frequency, intensity, or volume
  • devenir moins audibleslowly diminish in frequency, intensity, or volume
German abschwächen
  • abschwächenslowly diminish in frequency, intensity, or volume
Polish zanikać, zaniknąć
  • zanikaćslowly diminish in frequency, intensity, or volume
  • zaniknąćslowly diminish in frequency, intensity, or volume
  • przekwitaćslowly diminish in frequency, intensity, or volume
  • przekwitnąćslowly diminish in frequency, intensity, or volume
  • rozmywać sięslowly diminish in frequency, intensity, or volume
  • rozmyć sięslowly diminish in frequency, intensity, or volume
  • gasnąćslowly diminish in frequency, intensity, or volume
  • zgasnąćslowly diminish in frequency, intensity, or volume
Cite this entry
APA

trail off. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trail%20off

MLA

“trail off.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trail%20off. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “trail off,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trail%20off.

Source: trail off on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.