decrease
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de·crease
(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.
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.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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 adv
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
de•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.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
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
Similes Dictionary, 1st Edition. © 1988 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
decrease
Past participle: decreased
Gerund: decreasing
| Imperative |
|---|
| decrease |
| decrease |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  decrease - a change downward; "there was a decrease in his temperature as the fever subsided"; "there was a sharp drop-off in sales"alteration, 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 equipment sinking - 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 shorter physical 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" decline, diminution - change toward something smaller or lower desensitisation, desensitization - the process of reducing sensitivity; "the patient was desensitized to the allergen" narrowing - a decrease in width slippage - a decrease of transmitted power in a mechanical system caused by slipping wastage - the process of wasting | |
| 3. | decrease - the amount by which something decreases amount - 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 shrinks | |
| 4. |  decrease - the act of decreasing or reducing somethingchange of magnitude - the act of changing the amount or size of something cut - 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 less cutback - a reduction in quantity or rate devaluation - the reduction of something's value or worth devitalisation, devitalization - the act of reducing the vitality of something mitigation, palliation, extenuation - to act in such a way as to cause an offense to seem less serious alleviation, 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 position depletion - the act of decreasing something markedly shortening - act of decreasing in length; "the dress needs shortening" shrinking - the act of becoming less subtraction, 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 something rollback - reducing prices back to some earlier level weakening - the act of reducing the strength of something depreciation - 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 scope reverse split, reverse stock split, split down - a decrease in the number of outstanding shares of a corporation without changing the shareholders' equity amortisation, amortization - the reduction of the value of an asset by prorating its cost over a period of years declassification - reduction or removal by the government of restrictions on a classified document or weapon tax shelter, shelter - a way of organizing business to reduce the taxes it must pay on current earnings tax credit - a direct reduction in tax liability (not dependent on the taxpayer's tax bracket) | |
| 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" break - 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" change magnitude - change in size or magnitude weaken - 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, 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" 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" shorten - become short or shorter; "In winter, the days shorten" thin out - become sparser; "Towards the end of town, the houses thinned out" wane - decrease in phase; "the moon is waning" wane - become smaller; "Interest in his novels waned" 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"alter, 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" 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" de-escalate, step down, weaken - reduce the level or intensity or size or scope of; "de-escalate a crisis" 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" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
decrease
verb
1. 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, expand
reduce extend, enlarge lessen increase, expand
noun
1. 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, extension
lessening growth, expansion, extension
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
decrease
verbnoun
The act or process of decreasing:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
تَنَاقُصتَناقُص، هُبوط، إنْخِفاضيَتَنَاقَصُيُقَلِّل، يُنْقِص
snížitzmenšitpoklessnížení
aftagenedgangmindskes
laskealaskuvähentäävähentyä
smanjenjesmanjiti
minnkaminnkun, lækkun
減少減少する
감소감소하다
lejupslīdemazinātiessamazināšanāssamazinātsamazināties
zmanjšanjezmanjšati seznižanje
minskaminskning
การลดลงลดลง
giảm bớtsự giảm đi
decrease
A. [ˈdiːkriːs] N (gen) → disminución f, reducción f; (in wages) → descenso m, bajada f; (in prices) → bajada f, disminución f
a decrease in speed/strength → una reducción de velocidad/fuerza
a decrease of 50% → una reducción del 50%
to be on the decrease → ir disminuyendo
a decrease in speed/strength → una reducción de velocidad/fuerza
a decrease of 50% → una reducción del 50%
to be on the decrease → ir disminuyendo
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
decrease
[ˈdiːkriːs] n (in number) → diminution f; (in quantity, size) → réduction f; (in value, price, demand, spending, sales) → diminution f; (in unemployment, consumption) → baisse f
a decrease in unemployment → une baisse du chômage
a decrease in the number of unemployed people → une diminution du nombre de chômeurs
to be on the decrease → diminuer, être en diminution
a decrease in unemployment → une baisse du chômage
a decrease in the number of unemployed people → une diminution du nombre de chômeurs
to be on the decrease → diminuer, être en diminution
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
decrease
vi → abnehmen; (figures, output, life expectancy, birth rate, production) → zurückgehen, abnehmen; (strength, enthusiasm, intensity) → nachlassen; (in knitting) → abnehmen; in decreasing order of importance → in der Reihenfolge ihrer Bedeutung; it decreases in value → es verliert an Wert
vt → verringern, reduzieren
n → Abnahme f; (in figures, output, life expectancy, birth rate, production) → Rückgang m; (in strength, enthusiasm, intensity) → Nachlassen nt; decrease in speed → Verminderung or Abnahme f → der Geschwindigkeit; to be on the decrease → abnehmen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
decrease
[n ˈdiːkriːs; vb diːˈkriːs]1. n decrease (in) (amount, numbers, population, power) → diminuzione f (di); (birth rate, value, production, enthusiasm) → calo (di); (prices) → ribasso (di); (strength, dose) → riduzione f (di)
to be on the decrease → essere in diminuzione
to be on the decrease → essere in diminuzione
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
decrease
(diˈkriːs) verb to make or become less. Their numbers had decreased over the previous year.
(ˈdiːkriːs) noun a growing less. a decrease of fifty per cent; a gradual decrease in unemployment.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
decrease
→ تَنَاقُص, يَتَنَاقَصُ snížení, snížit aftage, nedgang Rückgang, vermindern (sich) μειώνω, μείωση disminución, disminuir lasku, vähentyä diminuer, diminution smanjenje, smanjiti calare, calo 減少, 減少する 감소, 감소하다 afname, afnemen minske, nedgang zmniejszenie, zmniejszyć decréscimo, diminuir уменьшать, уменьшение minska, minskning การลดลง, ลดลง azalma, azalmak giảm bớt, sự giảm đi 减少Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
decrease
n. disminución; reducción v. decrecer, disminuir, reducir;
___ saliva → ___ de saliva o reducción de saliva;
___ tears → ___ de lágrimas o reducción de lágrimas;
___ urine output → ___ o reducción del rendimiento urinario.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
decrease
n disminución f; vt, vi disminuir(se)English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.