释义 |
decrease
de·crease D0081100 (dĭ-krēs′)intr. & tr.v. de·creased, de·creas·ing, de·creas·es To become or cause to become less or smaller, as in number, amount, or intensity.n. (dē′krēs′)1. The act or process of decreasing.2. The amount by which something decreases. [Middle English decresen, from Old French decreistre, decreiss-, from Latin dēcrēscere : dē-, de- + crēscere, to grow; see ker- in Indo-European roots.] de·creas′ing·ly adv.Synonyms: decrease, lessen, reduce, dwindle, abate, diminish, subside These verbs mean to become smaller or less or to cause something to become smaller or less. Decrease and lessen have the most general application: saw the plane descend as its speed decreased; vowed to decrease government spending; an appetite that lessened as the disease progressed; restrictions aimed at lessening the environmental impact of off-road vehicles. Reduce often emphasizes bringing down in size, degree, or intensity: reduced the heat once the mixture reached a boil; workers who refused to reduce their wage demands. Dwindle suggests decreasing bit by bit to a vanishing point: savings that dwindled away in retirement. Abate stresses a decrease in amount or intensity and suggests a reduction of excess: a blustery wind that abated toward evening; increased the dosage in an effort to abate the pain. Diminish stresses the idea of loss or depletion: a breeze that arose as daylight diminished; a scandal that diminished the administration's authority. Subside implies a falling away to a more normal level or state: floodwaters that did not subside until days after the storm passed; anger that subsided with understanding.decrease vb to diminish or cause to diminish in size, number, strength, etc n 1. the act or process of diminishing; reduction 2. the amount by which something has been diminished [C14: from Old French descreistre, from Latin dēcrescere to grow less, from de- + crescere to grow] deˈcreasing adj deˈcreasingly advde•crease (v. dɪˈkris; n. ˈdi kris, dɪˈkris) v. -creased, -creas•ing, n. v.i. 1. to lessen, esp. by degrees, as in extent, quantity, strength, or power; diminish. v.t. 2. to make less; cause to diminish. n. 3. the act or process of decreasing; gradual reduction. 4. the amount by which a thing is lessened. [1350–1400; Middle English < Old French decreiss-, long s. of decreistre < Latin dēcrēscere (dē- de- + crēscere to grow); see crescent] de•creas′ing•ly, adv. syn: decrease, diminish, dwindle, shrink imply becoming smaller or less in amount. decrease commonly implies a sustained reduction in stages, esp. of bulk, size, volume, or quantity, often from some imperceptible cause or inherent process: The swelling decreased daily. diminish usu. implies the action of some external cause that keeps taking away: Disease caused the number of troops to diminish steadily. dwindle implies an undesirable reduction by degrees, resulting in attenuation: His followers dwindled to a mere handful. shrink esp. implies contraction through an inherent property under specific conditions: Many fabrics shrink in hot water. Decrease - Contract, like the pupil of an eye that confronts the sun —John Hall Wheelock
- (My avarice) cooled like lust in the chill of the grave —Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Decrease like a cigar: the harder you puff on it, the shorter it gets —Anon
The cigar has also been likened to an actor; e. g., “An actor decreases like a cigar; the more you puff him, the smaller he gets.” See Also: STAGE AND SCREEN - Decrease like a lemon drop; the more you lick it, the less it becomes —Anon
- Decrease like hair after each decade —Mike Sommer
- Devour [information] like baseball addicts devour box scores —David E. Sanger, New York Times, December 14, 1985
- Diminished and flat, as after radical surgery —Sylvia Plath
- (All my efforts) diminish like froth —Erich Maria Remarque
- Drain (as a day’s happenings) like water running out of a tub —Andre Dubus
- Energy … draining out like sand —May Sarton
- Gobble up cash the way electronic equipment gobbles up batteries —Anon
- Goes down like an ebbing tide —Henry James
James let the hero of his play, Guy Domville, use the ebbing tide comparison to explain the nature of his ignorance. - Go through [as bottle of pills] like a bull breaks a fence —Anon
- Pared like a carrot —John Russell
This is often used to mean humiliation. - (The conversation was already) petering out like a smoldering cigarette end —Stefan Zweig
- Receding like a threatened headache which hasn’t materialized —William Mcllvanney
- Shrinking as violets do in summer —Thomas Moore
The original ended with “As violets do in summer’s rays.” - Shrinking like aches —Charles Wright
- Shrivel up like the tendrils of a creeper when thrown on a bonfire —Francis King
- Shrunken as a beggar’s heart —Stephen Vincent Benét
- Use up as fast as a ten dollar bill in the supermarket —Anon
- Use up, like a cake of soap —Elyse Sommer
- Wore off [feeling of self-confidence] quicker than champagne —Edith Wharton
decrease Past participle: decreased Gerund: decreasing
Imperative |
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decrease | decrease |
Present |
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I decrease | you decrease | he/she/it decreases | we decrease | you decrease | they decrease |
Preterite |
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I decreased | you decreased | he/she/it decreased | we decreased | you decreased | they decreased |
Present Continuous |
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I am decreasing | you are decreasing | he/she/it is decreasing | we are decreasing | you are decreasing | they are decreasing |
Present Perfect |
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I have decreased | you have decreased | he/she/it has decreased | we have decreased | you have decreased | they have decreased |
Past Continuous |
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I was decreasing | you were decreasing | he/she/it was decreasing | we were decreasing | you were decreasing | they were decreasing |
Past Perfect |
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I had decreased | you had decreased | he/she/it had decreased | we had decreased | you had decreased | they had decreased |
Future |
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I will decrease | you will decrease | he/she/it will decrease | we will decrease | you will decrease | they will decrease |
Future Perfect |
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I will have decreased | you will have decreased | he/she/it will have decreased | we will have decreased | you will have decreased | they will have decreased |
Future Continuous |
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I will be decreasing | you will be decreasing | he/she/it will be decreasing | we will be decreasing | you will be decreasing | they will be decreasing |
Present Perfect Continuous |
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I have been decreasing | you have been decreasing | he/she/it has been decreasing | we have been decreasing | you have been decreasing | they have been decreasing |
Future Perfect Continuous |
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I will have been decreasing | you will have been decreasing | he/she/it will have been decreasing | we will have been decreasing | you will have been decreasing | they will have been decreasing |
Past Perfect Continuous |
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I had been decreasing | you had been decreasing | he/she/it had been decreasing | we had been decreasing | you had been decreasing | they had been decreasing |
Conditional |
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I would decrease | you would decrease | he/she/it would decrease | we would decrease | you would decrease | they would decrease |
Past Conditional |
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I would have decreased | you would have decreased | he/she/it would have decreased | we would have decreased | you would have decreased | they would have decreased | ThesaurusNoun | 1. | decrease - a change downward; "there was a decrease in his temperature as the fever subsided"; "there was a sharp drop-off in sales"lessening, drop-offalteration, change, modification - an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another; "the change was intended to increase sales"; "this storm is certainly a change for the worse"; "the neighborhood had undergone few modifications since his last visit years ago"shrinkage, shrinking - process or result of becoming less or smaller; "the material lost 2 inches per yard in shrinkage"casualty - a decrease of military personnel or equipmentsinking - a slow fall or decline (as for lack of strength); "after several hours of sinking an unexpected rally rescued the market"; "he could not control the sinking of his legs"attrition - a wearing down to weaken or destroy; "a war of attrition"dwindling, dwindling away - a becoming gradually less; "there is no greater sadness that the dwindling away of a family"waning - a gradual decrease in magnitude or extent; "the waning of his enthusiasm was obvious"; "the waxing and waning of the moon"increase - a change resulting in an increase; "the increase is scheduled for next month" | | 2. | decrease - a process of becoming smaller or shorterdecrementphysical process, process - a sustained phenomenon or one marked by gradual changes through a series of states; "events now in process"; "the process of calcification begins later for boys than for girls"decay, decline - a gradual decrease; as of stored charge or currentdecline, diminution - change toward something smaller or lowerdesensitisation, desensitization - the process of reducing sensitivity; "the patient was desensitized to the allergen"narrowing - a decrease in widthslippage - a decrease of transmitted power in a mechanical system caused by slippingwastage - the process of wastingincrement, growth, increase - a process of becoming larger or longer or more numerous or more important; "the increase in unemployment"; "the growth of population" | | 3. | decrease - the amount by which something decreasesdecrementamount - the relative magnitude of something with reference to a criterion; "an adequate amount of food for four people"free fall, drop, dip, fall - a sudden sharp decrease in some quantity; "a drop of 57 points on the Dow Jones index"; "there was a drop in pressure in the pulmonary artery"; "a dip in prices"; "when that became known the price of their stock went into free fall"shrinkage - the amount by which something shrinksincrement, increase - the amount by which something increases; "they proposed an increase of 15 percent in the fare" | | 4. | decrease - the act of decreasing or reducing somethingreduction, step-down, diminutionchange of magnitude - the act of changing the amount or size of somethingcut - the act of reducing the amount or number; "the mayor proposed extensive cuts in the city budget"mitigation, moderation - the action of lessening in severity or intensity; "the object being control or moderation of economic depressions"lowering - the act of causing to become lesscutback - a reduction in quantity or ratedevaluation - the reduction of something's value or worthdevitalisation, devitalization - the act of reducing the vitality of somethingmitigation, palliation, extenuation - to act in such a way as to cause an offense to seem less seriousalleviation, easement, easing, relief - the act of reducing something unpleasant (as pain or annoyance); "he asked the nurse for relief from the constant pain"de-escalation - (war) a reduction in intensity (of a crisis or a war)minimisation, minimization - the act of reducing something to the least possible amount or degree or positiondepletion - the act of decreasing something markedlyshortening - act of decreasing in length; "the dress needs shortening"shrinking - the act of becoming lesssubtraction, deduction - the act of subtracting (removing a part from the whole); "he complained about the subtraction of money from their paychecks"deflation - the act of letting the air out of somethingdiscount, price reduction, deduction - the act of reducing the selling price of merchandiserollback - reducing prices back to some earlier levelweakening - the act of reducing the strength of somethingdepreciation - a decrease in price or value; "depreciation of the dollar against the yen"contraction - the act of decreasing (something) in size or volume or quantity or scopereverse split, reverse stock split, split down - a decrease in the number of outstanding shares of a corporation without changing the shareholders' equityamortisation, amortization - the reduction of the value of an asset by prorating its cost over a period of yearsdeclassification - reduction or removal by the government of restrictions on a classified document or weapontax shelter, shelter - a way of organizing business to reduce the taxes it must pay on current earningstax credit - a direct reduction in tax liability (not dependent on the taxpayer's tax bracket)step-up, increase - the act of increasing something; "he gave me an increase in salary" | Verb | 1. | decrease - decrease in size, extent, or range; "The amount of homework decreased towards the end of the semester"; "The cabin pressure fell dramatically"; "her weight fell to under a hundred pounds"; "his voice fell to a whisper"diminish, lessen, fallbreak - diminish or discontinue abruptly; "The patient's fever broke last night"shrivel, shrink - decrease in size, range, or extent; "His earnings shrank"; "My courage shrivelled when I saw the task before me"taper - diminish gradually; "Interested tapered off"drop off - fall or diminish; "The number of students in this course dropped off after the first test"vaporize, vanish, fly - decrease rapidly and disappear; "the money vanished in las Vegas"; "all my stock assets have vaporized"break - fall sharply; "stock prices broke"ease off, slacken off, ease up, flag - become less intensechange magnitude - change in size or magnitudeweaken - become weaker; "The prisoner's resistance weakened after seven days"boil down, decoct, concentrate, reduce - be cooked until very little liquid is left; "The sauce should reduce to one cup"shrink, contract - become smaller or draw together; "The fabric shrank"; "The balloon shrank"shrink, shrivel, shrivel up, wither - wither, as with a loss of moisture; "The fruit dried and shriveled"die away, let up, slack off, abate, slack - become less in amount or intensity; "The storm abated"; "The rain let up after a few hours"deflate - become deflated or flaccid, as by losing air; "The balloons deflated"dwindle, dwindle away, dwindle down - become smaller or lose substance; "Her savings dwindled down"remit - diminish or abate; "The pain finally remitted"de-escalate - diminish in size, scope, or intensity; "The war of words between them de-escalated with time"devaluate, devalue, undervalue, depreciate - lose in value; "The dollar depreciated again"shorten - become short or shorter; "In winter, the days shorten"thin out - become sparser; "Towards the end of town, the houses thinned out"wane, go down, decline - grow smaller; "Interest in the project waned"wane - decrease in phase; "the moon is waning"wane - become smaller; "Interest in his novels waned"decelerate, slow, slow down, slow up, retard - lose velocity; move more slowly; "The car decelerated"decrescendo - grow quieter; "The music decrescendoes here"increase - become bigger or greater in amount; "The amount of work increased" | | 2. | decrease - make smaller; "He decreased his staff"minify, lessenalter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue"suppress - reduce the incidence or severity of or stop; "suppress a yawn"; "this drug can suppress the hemorrhage"mitigate - make less severe or harsh; "mitigating circumstances"pare, pare down - decrease gradually or bit by bitcircumscribe, confine, limit - restrict or confine, "I limit you to two visits to the pub a day"boil down, concentrate, reduce - cook until very little liquid is left; "The cook reduced the sauce by boiling it for a long time"shrink, reduce - reduce in size; reduce physically; "Hot water will shrink the sweater"; "Can you shrink this image?"abbreviate, abridge, foreshorten, shorten, contract, reduce, cut - reduce in scope while retaining essential elements; "The manuscript must be shortened"abate, slake, slack - make less active or intenselour, lower, turn down - make lower or quieter; "turn down the volume of a radio"de-escalate, step down, weaken - reduce the level or intensity or size or scope of; "de-escalate a crisis"minimize, minimise - make small or insignificant; "Let's minimize the risk"cut down, reduce, trim back, trim down, cut, cut back, trim, bring down - cut down on; make a reduction in; "reduce your daily fat intake"; "The employer wants to cut back health benefits"cut - have a reducing effect; "This cuts into my earnings"slack up, slacken, slack, relax - make less active or fast; "He slackened his pace as he got tired"; "Don't relax your efforts now"diminish, belittle - lessen the authority, dignity, or reputation of; "don't belittle your colleagues"increase - make bigger or more; "The boss finally increased her salary"; "The university increased the number of students it admitted" |
decreaseverb1. drop, decline, lessen, contract, lower, ease, shrink, diminish, fall off, dwindle, wane, subside, abate, peter out, slacken Population growth is decreasing each year.2. reduce, cut, lower, contract, depress, moderate, weaken, diminish, turn down, slow down, cut down, shorten, dilute, impair, lessen, curtail, wind down, abate, tone down, truncate, abridge, downsize Regular doses of aspirin decrease the risk of heart attack. reduce extend, enlarge lessen increase, expandnoun1. lessening, decline, reduction, loss, falling off, downturn, dwindling, contraction, ebb, cutback, subsidence, curtailment, shrinkage, diminution, abatement There has been a decrease in the number of young unemployed people. lessening growth, expansion, extensiondecreaseverbTo grow or cause to grow gradually less:abate, diminish, drain, dwindle, ebb, lessen, let up, peter (out), rebate, reduce, tail away (or off), taper (off).nounThe act or process of decreasing:abatement, curtailment, cut, cutback, decrement, diminishment, diminution, drain, reduction, slash, slowdown, taper.Translationsdecrease (diˈkriːs) verb to make or become less. Their numbers had decreased over the previous year. 減少 减少 (ˈdiːkriːs) noun a growing less. a decrease of fifty per cent; a gradual decrease in unemployment. 減少 减少DECREASE Dutch Echographic Cardiac Risk Evaluation Applying Stress Echo. A trial that compared the cardioprotective effect of a beta-blocker—bisoprolol—in high-risk patients undergoing major vascular surgery with standard therapy Results 20 serious cardiac events, cardiac deaths or MIs occurred with standard therapy, 2 with beta-blockersSee DCR See DECdecrease
Synonyms for decreaseverb dropSynonyms- drop
- decline
- lessen
- contract
- lower
- ease
- shrink
- diminish
- fall off
- dwindle
- wane
- subside
- abate
- peter out
- slacken
verb reduceSynonyms- reduce
- cut
- lower
- contract
- depress
- moderate
- weaken
- diminish
- turn down
- slow down
- cut down
- shorten
- dilute
- impair
- lessen
- curtail
- wind down
- abate
- tone down
- truncate
- abridge
- downsize
Antonyms- extend
- enlarge
- increase
- expand
noun lesseningSynonyms- lessening
- decline
- reduction
- loss
- falling off
- downturn
- dwindling
- contraction
- ebb
- cutback
- subsidence
- curtailment
- shrinkage
- diminution
- abatement
AntonymsSynonyms for decreaseverb to grow or cause to grow gradually lessSynonyms- abate
- diminish
- drain
- dwindle
- ebb
- lessen
- let up
- peter
- rebate
- reduce
- tail away
- taper
noun the act or process of decreasingSynonyms- abatement
- curtailment
- cut
- cutback
- decrement
- diminishment
- diminution
- drain
- reduction
- slash
- slowdown
- taper
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