diminish
verb /dɪˈmɪnɪʃ/
/dɪˈmɪnɪʃ/
Verb Forms
Idioms | present simple I / you / we / they diminish | /dɪˈmɪnɪʃ/ /dɪˈmɪnɪʃ/ |
| he / she / it diminishes | /dɪˈmɪnɪʃɪz/ /dɪˈmɪnɪʃɪz/ |
| past simple diminished | /dɪˈmɪnɪʃt/ /dɪˈmɪnɪʃt/ |
| past participle diminished | /dɪˈmɪnɪʃt/ /dɪˈmɪnɪʃt/ |
| -ing form diminishing | /dɪˈmɪnɪʃɪŋ/ /dɪˈmɪnɪʃɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] to become smaller, weaker, etc.; to make something become smaller, weaker, etc. synonym decrease
- The world's resources are rapidly diminishing.
- His influence has diminished with time.
- diminish something The new law is expected to diminish the government's chances.
- [transitive] diminish somebody/something to make somebody/something seem less important than they really are
- I don't wish to diminish the importance of their contribution.
- The trial has aged and diminished him.
Word Originlate Middle English: blend of archaic minish ‘diminish’ (based on Latin minutia ‘smallness’) and obsolete diminue ‘speak disparagingly’ (based on Latin deminuere ‘lessen’ (in late Latin diminuere), from minuere ‘make small’).
Idioms
(the law of) diminishing returns
- used to refer to a point at which you start achieving less than the value of the time or money you put into something
- Our efforts were producing diminishing returns.
- In general, the more exercise you take, the greater the health benefit; but beyond a certain level you get diminishing returns.