- to make or become smaller, fewer, or less
- (transitive) to cause (a column, etc) to taper
- (transitive) to decrease (a minor or perfect interval) by a semitone
- to belittle or be belittled; reduce in authority, status, etc; depreciate
diˈminishable adj
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024
di•min•ish /dɪˈmɪnɪʃ/USA pronunciation
v.
di•min•ish•ing, adj.: We now face the problem of diminishing returns.
dim•i•nu•tion /ˌdɪməˈnuʃən, -ˈnyu-/USA pronunciation n. [countable]facing a constant diminution of financial aid.[uncountable]plans for diminution of the budget deficit.See -min-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024- to (cause to) seem smaller, decrease, or be reduced: [no object]Suddenly the wind diminished and the seas grew calm again.[~ + object]Time will not diminish our friendship.
- to belittle; disparage:[~ + object]It's not fair to diminish his efforts; he's worked extremely hard.
di•min•ish•ing, adj.: We now face the problem of diminishing returns.
dim•i•nu•tion /ˌdɪməˈnuʃən, -ˈnyu-/USA pronunciation n. [countable]facing a constant diminution of financial aid.[uncountable]plans for diminution of the budget deficit.See -min-.
di•min•ish
(di min′ish),USA pronunciation v.t.
v.i.
di•min′ish•a•ble, adj.
di•min′ish•ment, n.
- to make or cause to seem smaller, less, less important, etc.;
lessen;
reduce. - Architectureto give (a column) a form tapering inward from bottom to top.
- Music and Danceto make (an interval) smaller by a chromatic half step than the corresponding perfect or minor interval.
- to detract from the authority, honor, stature, or reputation of;
disparage.
v.i.
- to lessen;
decrease.
- Medieval Latin dīminuere for Latin dēminuere to make smaller) and minishen minish
- Anglo-French diminuer
- 1400–50; late Middle English; blend of, blended diminuen (
di•min′ish•ment, n.
- 5.See corresponding entry in Unabridged See decrease.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
diminish /dɪˈmɪnɪʃ/ vb
diˈminishable adj
diˈminishable adj
'diminish' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Benthamism
- abate
- abridge
- accrue
- aggrandize
- alleviate
- alloy
- avianize
- bate
- blemish
- blow out
- blunt
- cannibalize
- check
- cognitive therapy
- contributory negligence
- crank
- curtail
- cut
- deaden
- decline
- decondition
- decongest
- decrease
- degenerate
- denasalize
- depressant
- detract
- dilute
- dim
- dimin.
- diminishing returns
- diminuendo
- diminution
- discount
- disquantity
- drop
- dwindle
- ebb
- enhance
- enlarge
- explain
- fall
- fall off
- fine
- fog light
- impair
- impoverish
- languish
- lay