diminished
Britishadjective
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reduced or lessened; made smaller
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music denoting any minor or perfect interval reduced by a semitone
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music denoting a triad consisting of the root plus a minor third and a diminished fifth
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music (postpositive) (esp in jazz or pop music) denoting a diminished seventh chord having as its root the note specified
B diminished
Explanation
If you drive through a tunnel, you’ll notice that your cell phone reception is diminished. When something is diminished, it’s been weakened or lessened. Diminished is an adjective used when something has lost its power, prestige, or worth. The value of a car, for instance, is diminished over time by wear and tear. In some instances, diminished means "belittled," or made to seem like less in the face of something perceived as better or greater. The popularity of a laptop, for instance, will be diminished if a cheaper, more powerful model is released. Leaders and politicians who get involved in scandals often suffer diminished reputations.
Vocabulary lists containing diminished
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
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The City of Ember
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Music - Middle School
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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.
But it’s not just American oil reserves that have diminished since the beginning of the war in February.
From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026
The diminished value of the cover letter also reflects the doubt that’s crept into the job-search process.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
Nolan has anchored his “Odyssey” at the fall of the Bronze Age, a once-great era toppled by wealth-hoarding, diminished trade and climate catastrophes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
Now, according to Kelanid, the president's leverage over Iran may be diminished.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Figure 4.54: Like chromatic and whole tone scales, a diminished scale is 11symmetrical11.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
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.
