trail off

English

Verb

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

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

   Synonyms: peter, peter out

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

   • 2019 April 10, qntm, “CASE HATE RED”, in SCP Foundation‎^[1], archived from the original on 29 May 2024:

     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.

Alternative forms

• trail away

Translations

slowly diminish in frequency, intensity, or volume

• French: diminuer (fr) (literally “reduce, lower, diminish”), s’éteindre (fr) (when referring to a voice), devenir moins audible (literally “to become less audible.”) (when referring to a sound)