wear off
No objectThis verb takes no object at all.
How to say it
Stress the particle, not the verb: wear OFF. Saying “WEAR off” is the clearest learner tell — the verb stays light and the particle carries the beat.
Link the R across. American English is rhotic, so the /r/ at the end of “wear” is a real consonant — it moves onto the particle and starts its syllable: “wear off” is said “wea-roff”. No /j/ or /w/ glide here; the R does that job itself.
What it means
(Of an effect or feeling) to gradually disappear.
- “The anaesthetic started to wear off after an hour.”
- “The novelty wore off pretty fast.”
Similar: fade, diminish