diminish
/dɪˈmɪnɪʃ/ verb C2- To make smaller.
- To become less or smaller.
- To make appear smaller than in reality; to dismiss as unimportant.
- To lessen the authority or dignity of; to put down; to degrade; to abase; to weaken; to nerf (in gaming).
- To taper.
- To disappear gradually.
- To take away; to subtract.
He/she/it diminishes · Past diminished · Past participle diminished · -ing form diminishing
Verb forms
- Base form
- diminish
- He/she/it
- diminishes
- Past
- diminished
- Past participle
- diminished
- -ing form
- diminishing
From the library
As the rays diminish,
When he came again to the stream, the Ass fell down on purpose in the same spot, and, regaining his feet with the weight of his load much diminished, brayed triumphantly as if he had obtained what he desired.
His face and hands were terribly mangled by his passage through the glass, but loss of blood had no effect in diminishing his resistance.
‘You may be cajoled into imagining that your own special trade or your own industry will be encouraged by a protective tariff, but it stands to reason that such legislation must in the long run keep away wealth from the country, diminish the value of our imports, and lower the general conditions of life in this island.’
Learn diminish in real texts
With a free account, hover any word in the library for its meaning, hear it read aloud, save words for review timed to your memory, and see how much of each book you already know.