venire meno

Italian

Etymology

Literally, “to become less”.

Verb

venìre meno (first-person singular present vèngo meno, first-person singular past historic vénni meno or vènni meno, past participle venùto meno, first-person singular future verrò meno, auxiliary èssere) (intransitive, idiomatic)

1. (also hyperbolic) to faint
2. to no longer exist; to cease
3. to ebb; to fade away; to become less

   il nostro amore è venuto meno

   our love faded away

4. to be insufficient or not enough; to fail
5. to break, to renege on [+ a (a commitment or promise)]

   venire meno alla parola data

   to go back on one's word

   (literally, “renege on the given word”)

6. to be broken (of the law; used with fare)

   far venire meno la legge ― to break the law (literally, “to cause the law to be broken”)

Anagrams

• inneveremo