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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Vocabulary lists containing diminish

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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

The life Mr. Meyer reconstructs reads as a sustained revolt against the power of categories to diminish.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Standards, such as the number of children a teacher can supervise, would soon be under local control, leading to variations across the country, which Head Start advocates worry could diminish the quality of the program.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

Both “the historical pattern and the sharp deleveraging that has recently taken place among hedge funds and ETF investors suggest rotational volatility should diminish in coming weeks,” the strategists said.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 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

Very slowly, as he ate the bacon and the coffee cleared his mind, the spinning in his head began to diminish and he found himself creeping up on a new realization.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

It also calls for zero tolerance of bullying or misogyny from No 10 staff and parliamentarians, as well as unprofessional behaviour that diminishes the contributions of women.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 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

None of this diminishes the extraordinary technical skill of early anatomists.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 21, 2026

None of that diminishes anything for each of the 1,248 players who will participate.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026

“More or less, when I was little. Sometimes, even now. You know, it’s being with old guys like Stew that diminishes you. “

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee

The plan dates from before the river was diminished by declining snowfall and increasing evaporation due to higher temperatures.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

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

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

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

Listen to the augmented prime62 , diminished second63 , augmented third64 , diminished sixth65 , augmented seventh66 , diminished octave67 , augmented fourth68 , and diminished fifth69 .

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

“Washington appears to have reached the point where more of the same was producing diminishing returns,” Stephen Innes, managing partner at SPI Asset Management, wrote in a weekend note.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 26, 2026

Aiyar believes the movement has tapped into broader anxieties over a slowing economy, scarce jobs and a deepening sense that the future offers diminishing opportunities.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

But an Economist/YouGov poll conducted in recent days found that support diminishing.

From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026

Bidding up their services leads to diminishing returns.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

“There’s a point of diminishing returns. You’d studied all day already. You needed a break. Remember what happened with those standardized tests when you got so stressed?”

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

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