Synonyms

diminish

American

[dih-min-ish] / dɪˈmɪn ɪʃ /

verb (used with object)

to make or cause to seem smaller, less, less important, etc.; lessen; reduce.
Architecture. to give (a column) a form tapering inward from bottom to top.
Music. to make (an interval) smaller by a chromatic half step than the corresponding perfect or minor interval.
to detract from the authority, honor, stature, or reputation of; disparage.

verb (used without object)

to lessen; decrease.

diminish British

/ dɪˈmɪnɪʃ /

verb

to make or become smaller, fewer, or less
(tr) architect to cause (a column, etc) to taper
(tr) music to decrease (a minor or perfect interval) by a semitone
to belittle or be belittled; reduce in authority, status, etc; depreciate

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Synonym Usage

See decrease.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

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.

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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.

See Examples For:

diminish diminishes diminished diminishing

David Tamayo, head of Colombia's disaster relief agency, acknowledged that the "likelihood of finding survivors is going to diminish" after Thursday.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

But that doesn’t diminish its staying power as one of the most reliable timepieces in the Omega lineup.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

Even if its reserve status continues to diminish, that is hardly the only factor behind the dollar’s relevance on the international stage.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026

"It's really important - that when somebody else tries to grab the microphone and diminish what you're doing - you grab it back."

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

We have some sense of ordinariness, and it tends to diminish our surprise.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

But because it’s so integrative, balance diminishes faster than strength as we age, Burbank says.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

As that plutonium supply steadily diminishes, each spacecraft loses about 4 watts of available power every year.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026

That hardly diminishes a lifetime spent largely out of the spotlight as a dedicated public servant.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Which rather diminishes the headline, the lede, and the whole rationale for putting the story on the front page.

From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026

“Okay, before I go on, please note: what I’m about to say in no way diminishes what we’ve talked about in the past, nor does it validate that ‘just a phase’ thing I mentioned earlier.

From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone

Some analysts have ventured to say that diminished demand could keep a lid on oil prices through the rest of the year, even if traffic through the Strait of Hormuz doesn’t fully recover.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026

But it comes at a time when the small community is also dealing with a lack of affordable housing, limited traffic capacity and years of diminished tourism.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

And proxy advisory firms that weigh in on proposals have seen their power diminished.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

The moths will survive in some surrounding areas, he said, but their habitat is "diminished".

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

By morning Penelope’s list of problems had in no way diminished, and yet they seemed more manageable, somehow, as if she might simply put them in a list and tick them off, one by one.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

The US cattle herd has shrunk to its lowest level since the 1950s -- in part due to drought and international competition -- with the diminishing herd size pushing cattle prices higher.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

But investor appetite in lending the US government money through buying bonds is "diminishing", Swanson warns, creating a "vicious" cycle, requiring the government to offer ever higher returns to keep investors purchasing its debt.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

Attempts to simply talk up the yen were running up against the law of diminishing returns.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

“I would refer to him as my father in football, but that would probably be diminishing the impact he’s had on my life.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

“Please someone to tell Merlyn to look after Wat,” cried the victim over his shoulder, in diminishing tones.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023