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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

At the same time, selling off or reducing Tata Trust’s stake would diminish its role—and by extension the family’s—in the firm.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

“I believe the VIX is currently being suppressed by options flows and other dynamics. Those effects should diminish after tomorrow’s expiration,” Kramer said.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

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

“Were they like the creatures you saw, Ruta Skadi?” said Serafina as they slowed down in the middle airs, watching the bright flames diminish toward the horizon.

From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

“It diminishes the role and degree of professionalism that teaching requires.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026

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

“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

Raman quickly shot back, saying she hears criticism of Bass from residents across the city who have had to contend with diminished services and deteriorating streets and sidewalks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

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

The skills gap between newcomers and veterans is further diminished by the speed of technological changes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 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

Column space for joking articles about ghosts and gossip diminished as the idea of Southern secession grew more common.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

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

With the adoption of artificial intelligence promising—or threatening—to return ever greater rewards to a diminishing number of those best placed to exploit it, the trends will intensify.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

Like a river diminishing to a stream and then to a trickle.

From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou

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