downsizedown‧size /ˈdaʊnsaɪz/ verb [intransitive, transitive] 
Verb Table Examples
The airline has downsized its workforce by 30%.► see thesaurus at reduce—downsizing noun [uncountable]
Verb TableVERB TABLE
downsize
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | downsize |
| he, she, it | downsizes | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | downsized |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have downsized |
| he, she, it | has downsized | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had downsized |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will downsize |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have downsized |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am downsizing |
| he, she, it | is downsizing | |
| you, we, they | are downsizing | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was downsizing |
| you, we, they | were downsizing | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been downsizing |
| he, she, it | has been downsizing | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been downsizing |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be downsizing |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been downsizing |
EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
Thesaurus- And the overall quality of care remains vulnerable to health industry cost-cutting and downsizing.
- Another year, another downsizing, and this time a monster.
- Feds, in recent years, have learned about downsizing.
- For devotees of downsizing, the signs are that this could be a vintage year.
- Some argue that downsizing is dissolving the glue that has traditionally held companies together, and without which they may never flourish.
- The boxes are clearly aimed at data intensive applications downsizing from mainframes.
THESAURUSto reduce prices, numbers, or amounts► reduce
Collocations to make the price, amount, or size of something less or smaller: · The price was reduced by 50%.· We need to reduce the amount of salt in our diet.
► cut to reduce something, especially by a large amount – used about prices, costs, jobs, or the time needed to do something: · Companies are always looking for ways to cut costs.· The journey time will be cut to under 2 hours.· Staff numbers have been cut by half to about 150.
► lower to reduce the level, limit, or amount of something. Lower sounds rather formal: · The voting age was lowered to 18.· The government decided to lower interest rates by 0.5%.· After twenty minutes, lower the temperature to 150 degrees.
► bring something down to reduce something such as prices or costs, or reduce the level of something. Bring something down is less formal than lower: · The government wants to bring down the level of inflation.· The company is trying to bring its costs down.
► slash informal to reduce an amount or price by a very large amount – used especially in newspapers and advertisements: · Public spending has been slashed over the past two years.· Prices slashed for one week only!
► cut something back to reduce the amount of something – used especially about people deciding to spend less, do less, or use less of something: · The education budget has been cut back again.· I need to cut back on my workload.
► downsize to reduce the number of people employed in order to reduce costs – used about a company or organization: · The company is planning to downsize its European operations.
► scale something down/back to reduce the size or the amount of money that is being spent on something: · The research programme has been scaled down.· The navy is being scaled down.
► relieve/ease to make pain or feelings less unpleasant: · The drug is used to relieve pain.· A joke can help to ease the tension.
► alleviate formal to reduce pain or suffering, or make a problem less serious: · You can buy various medicines to alleviate the symptoms of flu.· The new road was supposed to alleviate the congestion problem.
Longman Language Activatorwhen a company reduces its activities, the amount it spends etc► scale down also scale back American to reduce something, such as the size of an organization or a plan, so that it is still operating but on a smaller level: scale down/back something: · European central banks have scaled down their operations in South Africa.scale something down/back: · The two companies have announced plans to scale back production next year.· Development projects were scaled down, and some proposals for new buildings were put on hold.
► cut back to reduce the numbers of something or the time or money spent on something, especially because you can no longer afford to continue at the previous level: cut back on: · Her friends know that she is under stress and have warned her to cut back on her workload.cut back something: · Our budget has been cut back this year.· Farmers have agreed to cut back wheat production.cut something back: · We have had to cut expenditure back in an effort to increase profits.
► downsize/rightsize especially American to reduce the number of people who work for a company, especially in order to save money: · They are downsizing the workforce in a desperate attempt to save the firm.· Advised to rightsize its operation, the company has shrunk to 2,000 employees.
► pare down to reduce something by small amounts over a period of time so that the effect is not very serious or noticeable while it is happening: pare down something: · The company has pared down expenditure and hopes to recoup its losses this year.pare something down: · We have managed to pare our costs down to the absolute minimum.
► rationalize also rationalise British to try to make a company more effective by getting rid of unnecessary workers etc: · We are a small company, and we need to rationalize if we want to compete in this market.· The company has done a lot to rationalize production.
► wind down to gradually reduce the work of a company or organization so that it can be closed down completely: wind something down: · The old sickness benefit system is slowly being wound down.wind something down: · I want to return in a few years' time - I've already started to wind the business down.
► run down especially British to deliberately make something such as a company, an industry, or a public service weaker and weaker, by giving it less and less money: run down something: · Opposition leaders are accusing the government of running down the Health Service.run something down: · They buy up rival companies then just run them down.
► trim to reduce something by a small amount that will not harm or change it very much, especially in order to save money: · By trimming costs and improving service the hotel has now started to make a profit again.trim something by 10% etc: · The proposed bill would trim welfare spending by $5 billion.
► streamline to reduce the costs of something such as a service or industry by employing fewer people, reducing the number of things you produce or provide etc - used especially in business contexts: · The government is once again attempting to streamline the health care service in order to pay for tax cuts.· The company announced it was to streamline its operations and close down three factories in the UK.
WORD SETS► Basicsadmin, nounadministration, nounadministrative, adjectiveadministrator, nounagency, nounagent, nounbalance sheet, nounbazaar, nounbid, nounbid, verbbig business, nounbook value, nounboss, nounbottom line, nounbranch, nouncapacity, nouncapital, nouncapital assets, nouncapital gains, nouncapital goods, nouncapital-intensive, adjectivecapitalist, nouncard, nouncentralize, verbcompetitiveness, nounconsultancy, nouncontract, nouncontract, verbcost-effective, adjectivecoupon, nouncritical path, noundecentralize, verbdeveloper, noundistiller, noundistributor, noundiversify, verbdownsize, verbeconomics, nounenterprise, nounentrepreneur, nounestablishment, nounfashion, nounfly-by-night, adjectivefold, verbfoodstuff, nounform letter, nounfranchise, verbfranchisee, noungazump, verbgearing, noungeneric, adjectiveget, verbhard sell, nounhaute couture, nounhigh season, nounhigh technology, nounhike, nounhike, verbloss, nounlow-tech, adjectivemaximize, verbMD, nounmerchandise, verbmerchandising, nounmerger, nounmiddleman, nounmiller, nounmission statement, nounmom-and-pop, adjectivemoneygrabbing, adjectivemoneymaker, noun-monger, suffixmonopolistic, adjectivemonopoly, nounnet, adjectivenet, verbniche, nounoff-the-peg, adjectiveopening time, nounoperation, nounoperational, adjectiveoperator, nounoption, nounoutlay, nounoutlet, nounoutput, nounoutwork, nounoverhead, nounoverstock, verbpackage, nounpartner, nounpartnership, nounpatent, nounpayola, nounpercentage, nounpiracy, nounpremium, nounprivate practice, nounprivatization, nounprivatize, verbprofitability, nounproprietor, nounproprietress, nounpurchase price, nounpurchasing power, nounquiet, adjectiveR & D, nounrate of return, nounrecall, verbreject, nounrep, nounresearch and development, nounrestrictive practices, nounrevenue, nounsell, verbservice industry, nounsleeping partner, nounspeculate, verbspeculation, nounspeculative, adjectivestreet value, nounsubtotal, nounswap meet, nounsweatshop, nounsyndicate, nounsystems analyst, nountake, nountender, nountie-up, nounTM, transact, verbtransaction, nounturnover, nounundersell, verbuneconomic, adjectiveunit, noununprofitable, adjectivevideo conferencing, nounwatchdog, nounwheeler-dealer, nounwheeling and dealing, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN► company
if a company or organization downsizes, it reduces the number of people it employs in order to reduce costs: · The situation forced the company to downsize from 35 to six people and start looking for either a buyer or non-exclusive licensees.· Company after company is just downsizing ruthlessly all the time.· Some companies need to downsize to survive.· Or tax incentives encourage companies to stretch out downsizing and keep more jobs at home?
► government· Men, however, overwhelmingly favored Republican ideas on downsizing government, balancing the budget and welfare reform.· Yet in the name of downsizing government Congress wants fewer rather than more central supervisors.
► job· Still others have been forced into it after losing jobs to downsizing.· Since 1990, surrounding Cannon County has lost some 700 jobs to downsizing.
► year· Another year, another downsizing, and this time a monster.· Ulrich recently retired from the company and Lundwall lost his job last year after a downsizing.
The airline has downsized its workforce by 30%.► see thesaurus at reduce—downsizing noun [uncountable]