Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense diminishes, present participle diminishing, past tense, past participle diminished
1. verb
When something diminishes, or when something diminishes it, it becomes reduced in size, importance, or intensity.
The threat of nuclear war has diminished. [VERB]
Federalism is intended to diminish the power of the central state. [VERB noun]
Universities are facing grave problems because of diminishing resources. [VERB-ing]
This could mean diminished public support for the war. [VERB-ed]
Synonyms: reduce, cut, decrease, lessen More Synonyms of diminish
2. verb
If you diminish someone or something, you talk about them or treat them in a way that makes them appear less important than they really are.
He never put her down or diminished her. [VERB noun]
He could no longer cope; he relied on me, and felt diminished by it. [VERB-ed]
More Synonyms of diminish
diminish in British English
(dɪˈmɪnɪʃ)
verb
1.
to make or become smaller, fewer, or less
2. (transitive) architecture
to cause (a column, etc) to taper
3. (transitive) music
to decrease (a minor or perfect interval) by a semitone
4.
to belittle or be belittled; reduce in authority, status, etc; depreciate
Derived forms
diminishable (diˈminishable)
adjective
diminishment (diˈminishment)
noun
Word origin
C15: blend of diminuen to lessen (from Latin dēminuere to make smaller, from minuere to reduce) + archaic minish to lessen
diminish in American English
(dəˈmɪnɪʃ)
verb transitive
1.
to make, or make seem, smaller; reduce in size, degree, importance, etc.; lessen
2. Architecture
to cause to taper
3. Music
to reduce (a perfect or a minor interval) by a half step
verb intransitive
4.
to become smaller or less
5. Architecture
to taper
SIMILAR WORDS: deˈcrease
Derived forms
diminishable (diˈminishable)
adjective
Word origin
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, minute2
Examples of 'diminish' in a sentence
diminish
Or we could diminish its intensity and power.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Without him they would be much diminished.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We wanted it to be friendly, but not too cutesy in a way that diminished the intelligence of the user.
Smithsonian Mag (2017)
If that status is diminished, so too will be the ability of US regulators to bully foreign banks.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The desire for status also diminishes with age.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
But the threat of insurgency diminishes as an election nears.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Physical coercion is a power of diminishing returns.
Bethune, Helen Positive Parent Power (1991)
The source of the assets might be taken into account but its importance would diminish over time.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
This can make it seem like a double blow because now your social support is also diminished.
Ingham, Christine Life Without Work (1994)
The infinite variety of woman is much diminished without her.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
We have to find a way of diminishing their influence.
The Sun (2010)
Not that its size diminished its beauty.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
But his social position and status are rapidly diminishing.
Peter F. Drucker MANAGEMENT: task, responsibilities, practices (1974)
But it is good to hear officially that the threat has diminished.
The Sun (2009)
His control will be diminished and some power will pass to incoming investors.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
It is unlikely to diminish much with a change at the top.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
These issues cannot be used to diminish in any way the seriousness of any allegations against him.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Having something to say but saying it poorly will diminish the power of the sermon.
Christianity Today (2000)
The exhibition went some way to diminish him.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
All the sound and the fury that followed served only to diminish the status of a great club.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Its council base is much diminished.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
That social problems have always existed does not diminish their importance, of course.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Larger groups tend to be more stable than smaller groups, although their intensity may diminish as well.
Appelbaum, Richard P. Sociology (1995)
Sometimes it is as though I am diminished to the size of a cake box.
various & introduction by Deirdre Chapman A Roomful of Birds - Scottish short stories 1990 (1990)
Models agree that in the UK size pressures have diminished.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
I am not necessarily saying that your headaches will be cured, but they should be diminishing both in intensity and frequency.
Whiteside, Dr Mike Banish Headaches -how to obtain fast, drug-free relief from headache (1990)
Word lists with
diminish
terms used in architecture
In other languages
diminish
British English: diminish /dɪˈmɪnɪʃ/ VERB
When something diminishes, its importance, size, or intensity is reduced.
The threat of war has diminished.
Federalism is intended to diminish the power of the central state.
American English: diminish
Arabic: يُقَلِّلُ
Brazilian Portuguese: diminuir
Chinese: 减少
Croatian: smanjiti
Czech: zmenšit se
Danish: formindske
Dutch: verminderen
European Spanish: disminuir
Finnish: vähentyä
French: diminuer
German: verringern
Greek: μικραίνω
Italian: diminuire
Japanese: 減らす
Korean: 줄이다
Norwegian: svekke
Polish: zmniejszyć
European Portuguese: diminuir
Romanian: a diminua
Russian: уменьшать
Latin American Spanish: disminuir
Swedish: minska
Thai: ทำให้ลดลง
Turkish: azalmak
Ukrainian: зменшувати(ся)
Vietnamese: giảm bớt
Chinese translation of 'diminish'
diminish
(dɪˈmɪnɪʃ)
vi, vt
减(減)小 (jiǎnxiǎo)
1 (verb)
Definition
to make or become smaller, fewer, or less
The threat of war has diminished.
Synonyms
decrease
Population growth is decreasing each year.
decline
a declining birth rate
lessen
The burden will lessen if you ask someone for help.
contract
weaken
The storm was finally beginning to weaken.
Family structures are weakening and breaking up.
shrink
The vast forests have shrunk.
dwindle
The factory's workforce has dwindled.
wane
His interest in art to wane.
recede
The illness began to recede.
subside
The pain had subsided during the night.
ebb
There were occasions when my enthusiasm ebbed.
taper
die out
fade away
abate
The storms soon abated.
peter out
The strike seemed to be petering out.
Opposites
increase,
grow
,
expand
,
heighten
,
enlarge
2 (verb)
Definition
to make or become smaller, fewer, or less
Federalism is intended to diminish the power of the central state.
Synonyms
reduce
Consumption is being reduced by 25 per cent.
cut
The first priority is to cut costs.
decrease
The medication is said to decrease the risk of heart attack.
lessen
Keep immunisations up to date to lessen the risk of serious illness.
contract
Output fell last year and is expected to contract further this year.
lower
The new measures will lower the risk.
weaken
Her opponents believe that her authority has been fatally weakened.
curtail
NATO plans to curtail the number of troops being sent to the region.
The celebrations had to be curtailed because of bad weather.
abate
a government programme to abate greenhouse gas emissions
retrench
It promised to retrench its London-based markets.
disempower
Opposites
increase,
expand
,
enhance
,
amplify
,
augment
,
heighten
,
enlarge
3 (verb)
Definition
to reduce in authority or status
Even when we're angry we never diminish each other.
Synonyms
belittle
We mustn't belittle her outstanding achievement.
scorn
people who scorned traditional methods
People scorn me as a single parent.
devalue
They attempted to devalue her work.
undervalue
We must never undervalue freedom.
deride
This theory is widely derided by conventional scientists.
demean
denigrate
We habitually denigrated our boss in his absence.
scoff at
disparage
his tendency to disparage literature
decry
He is impatient with those who decry the scheme.
sneer at
underrate
He underrated the seriousness of William's head injury.
deprecate
They deprecate him and call him names.
depreciate
A parent should never depreciate their child's interests.
cheapen
Love is a word cheapened by overuse.
derogate
Additional synonyms
in the sense of abate
Definition
to make or become less strong
The storms soon abated.
Synonyms
decrease,
decline,
relax,
ease,
sink,
fade,
weaken,
diminish,
dwindle,
lessen,
slow,
wane,
subside,
ebb,
let up,
slacken,
attenuate,
taper off
in the sense of abate
Definition
to make or become less strong
a government programme to abate greenhouse gas emissions