diminish Hear it!

diminish Definition

di·min·ish (də min′is̸h)

transitive verb

  1. to make, or make seem, smaller; reduce in size, degree, importance, etc.; lessen
  2. Archit. to cause to taper
  3. Music to reduce (a perfect or a minor interval) by a half step

Etymology: ME diminishen, a blend of diminuen, to reduce (< OFr diminuer < L diminuere, var. of deminuere < de-, from + minuere, to lessen < minus, small) & minishen, to make smaller < OFr menusier < VL *minutiare < L minutus, minute

intransitive verb

  1. to become smaller or less
  2. Archit. to taper

diminish Related Forms

di·min′·ish·able adjective

diminish Synonyms

diminish

v.

  1. To grow less

    decrease, wane, abate, decline; see decrease 1.

  2. To make less

    decrease, lessen, reduce, abbreviate; see decrease 2, depreciate 2. See syn. study at decrease.

diminish Usage Examples

Object

  • return: The law of diminishing returns must by now be in force?
  • likelihood: The concept originated during the post-war era to promote better understanding between European people to diminish the likelihood of more terrible conflict.
  • usefulness: In practice we may have degrees of dissociation, but this does not diminish the usefulness of the concept.
  • credibility: Thus the policy of so-called openness would diminish the credibility of the Council.
  • effectiveness: It seems fairly clear that poverty can significantly diminish the effectiveness with which individuals can exercise these rights.
  • importance: A short marriage will not diminish the importance of contributions on the facts of a particular case.

Adjective complement

due: However, Korea's competitiveness relative to China may be diminishing partly due to increased labor costs.

Modifying Another Word

  • greatly: I consider the just solution to reflect the greatly diminished assets is to award the wife £ 220,000 or 41 % of the capital.
  • gradually: What happens is that you come to terms with it; the pain diminishes gradually with time.
  • rapidly: However, for many people due to the changing nature of work the concept of a job career for life is rapidly diminishing.
  • considerably: Interestingly, the rate of decline of costs has diminished considerably over the last 4 years.
  • markedly: Markedly diminished pleasure in all ( or almost all ) activities.
  • steadily: Some would argue this reflects how television's interest in World War II is an obsession, mining a steadily diminishing seam.

Used with why or when

when: Civilization, as a whole, is diminished when a child dies from malnutrition or from a curable disease.

Preposition: in

  • stature: If Mary had written a Gospel or an Epistle herself surely she would have diminished in stature.
  • proportion: So also the number of the images was diminished in proportion as they were nearer the eye which saw them [ Footnote 22.
  • size: After about three generations our jaws would begin to diminish in size and strength due to lack of use.
  • importance: This fair has latterly diminished in importance, and is now but thinly frequented.

Preposition: with

  • distance: Broadly, values diminished concentrically with distance from the two major commercial foci of the metropolis.
  • age: Changes with aging The ability to maintain attention over a wide area seems to diminish with age.