diminish
Americanverb (used with object)
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to make or cause to seem smaller, less, less important, etc.; lessen; reduce.
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Architecture. to give (a column) a form tapering inward from bottom to top.
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Music. to make (an interval) smaller by a chromatic half step than the corresponding perfect or minor interval.
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to detract from the authority, honor, stature, or reputation of; disparage.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to make or become smaller, fewer, or less
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(tr) architect to cause (a column, etc) to taper
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(tr) music to decrease (a minor or perfect interval) by a semitone
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to belittle or be belittled; reduce in authority, status, etc; depreciate
Usage
What does diminish mean? To diminish is to become smaller, fewer, or less, as in If we don’t order more, our stock of supplies will slowly diminish until we run out completely. It can also mean to make smaller, fewer, or less, as in We need to diminish our reliance on fossil fuels. Close synonyms of these senses of diminish are reduce, decrease, and lessen. Diminish can also be used in less literal ways. It can mean to make something seem smaller or less significant, as in The senator tried to diminish his role in the scandal. The verb downplay is used in a similar way. To diminish a person is to reduce or take away from their stature, reputation, or authority in some way—to belittle or disparage them, as in The new tell-all book is clearly an attempt to diminish a man who is regarded as a legend in his field. Example: My interest in sports has diminished since I was a kid—I’m only a casual fan now.
Related Words
See decrease.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of diminish
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; blend of diminuen (from Anglo-French diminuer, from Medieval Latin dīminuere, from Latin dēminuere “to make smaller”) and minishen minish
Explanation
Diminish means to make smaller or lesser. If you cover a lightbulb with a dark lamp shade, the light from the lamp will diminish. It can also mean become less important. Once the light has been dimmed, its role in lighting the room is diminished. If you look at diminish, you see 'minis' which comes from the Latin word minus, as in subtraction. Other words that share this root are miniature and minuscule, all of which mean something that is small, or at least smallish.
Vocabulary lists containing diminish
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Diminish the flow, and saltwater contaminates the drinking water supply and the entire natural system that sustains human populations, not just wildlife.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 16, 2023
More From William D. Cohan » March 16, 2010 Divide and Diminish The human impulse to parcel nature into smaller and smaller plots is a danger to biodiversity.
From New York Times • Mar. 28, 2010
More From Robert Wright » March 16, 2010 Divide and Diminish The human impulse to parcel nature into smaller and smaller plots is a danger to biodiversity.
From New York Times • Mar. 16, 2010
Diminish the general scarcity of anything on earth to the point of a full supply for everybody and the commercial value at once becomes nil.
From A Strange Discovery by Dake, Charles Romyn
Diminish suddenly and largely the competition for the purchase of food, and the farmer becomes the prey of the mechanic.
From The slave trade, domestic and foreign Why It Exists, and How It May Be Extinguished by Carey, H. C. (Henry Charles)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
