diminishing returns
plural noun
1
: a rate of yield that beyond a certain point fails to increase in proportion to additional investments of labor or capital
2
: benefits that beyond a certain point fail to increase in proportion to extended efforts
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The January 6 committee seemed to hit the point of diminishing returns this week. 
Andrew C. Mccarthy, National Review, 16 July 2022 However, the majority of gains involving hypertrophy can be achieved with fairly minimal routines, after which there are diminishing returns. Oliver Lee Bateman, Men's Health, 19 May 2022 Which doesn’t mean copycats don’t occur, along with the law of diminishing returns. John Anderson, WSJ, 17 May 2022 Yet once the latest blueprint is established, the assorted subplots yield diminishing returns, indulging in strange detours while building toward the inevitable faceoff with the amorphous threat. Brian Lowry, CNN, 21 June 2022 The longer a raise takes, the greater the risk of it not getting done at all, as the laws of diminishing returns set in (the 200th investor you contact is probably number 200 for a reason) and potential investors (understandably) get skittish. Sallie Krawcheck, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2022 Apple’s chip design team seems acutely aware of those diminishing returns and has tuned all of its M1 chips accordingly. Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 17 Mar. 2022 However, there are diminishing returns after a certain point. Oliver Lee Bateman, Men's Health, 19 May 2022 To my palate, the chocolate ketchup, which accompanies the blameless curly fries, is interesting but subject to swiftly diminishing returns. David Kortava, The New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2022 See More
Andrew C. Mccarthy, National Review, 16 July 2022 However, the majority of gains involving hypertrophy can be achieved with fairly minimal routines, after which there are diminishing returns. Oliver Lee Bateman, Men's Health, 19 May 2022 Which doesn’t mean copycats don’t occur, along with the law of diminishing returns. John Anderson, WSJ, 17 May 2022 Yet once the latest blueprint is established, the assorted subplots yield diminishing returns, indulging in strange detours while building toward the inevitable faceoff with the amorphous threat. Brian Lowry, CNN, 21 June 2022 The longer a raise takes, the greater the risk of it not getting done at all, as the laws of diminishing returns set in (the 200th investor you contact is probably number 200 for a reason) and potential investors (understandably) get skittish. Sallie Krawcheck, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2022 Apple’s chip design team seems acutely aware of those diminishing returns and has tuned all of its M1 chips accordingly. Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 17 Mar. 2022 However, there are diminishing returns after a certain point. Oliver Lee Bateman, Men's Health, 19 May 2022 To my palate, the chocolate ketchup, which accompanies the blameless curly fries, is interesting but subject to swiftly diminishing returns. David Kortava, The New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
1815, in the meaning defined at sense 1