- present participle of decrease.
decreasing
Americanadjective
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becoming less or fewer; diminishing.
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Mathematics. (of a function) having the property that for any two points in the domain such that one is larger than the other, the image of the larger point is less than or equal to the image of the smaller point; nonincreasing.
Usage
What does decreasing mean? Decreasing is an adjective that means lessening or in decline—becoming less in number, amount, size, or in some other way. It comes from the continuous tense (-ing form) of the verb decrease, which means to lessen or become reduced in number, amount, size, or in some other way, as in Our profits will continue to decrease unless we cut costs. The word decreased can also be used as an adjective to describe things that have lessened or declined, as in a decreased appetite. Example: Decreasing sales have forced the company to cut costs.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of decreasing
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at decrease, -ing 2
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.
So they spent the next five years steadily decreasing their asking price in hopes of landing a buyer.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
Despite a significant proportion of American births to single mothers, the number of unmarried women giving birth has actually been decreasing for the past decade, with the decline largely driven by teenagers and working-class women.
From Slate ● Jul. 6, 2026
Regulator monitors and sensors have measured improved pollution levels since noon Monday, with the air quality index in the areas immediately surrounding the fire decreasing from very unhealthy to moderate as of 11 a.m.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
"With decreasing support for humanitarian assistance, we then see more Sudanese look for safety, look for opportunity further afield."
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
This expansion is said to be “inflationary,” meaning that the universe at one time expanded at an increasing rate rather than the decreasing rate that it does today.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
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.
