diminish
Americanverb (used with object)
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diminishes,
present (3rd person singular)
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diminished,
past participle, past
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diminishing
present participle
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to make or cause to seem smaller, less, less important, etc.; lessen; reduce.
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Architecture. to give (a column) a form tapering inward from bottom to top.
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Music. to make (an interval) smaller by a chromatic half step than the corresponding perfect or minor interval.
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to detract from the authority, honor, stature, or reputation of; disparage.
verb (used without object)
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diminishes,
present (3rd person singular)
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diminished,
past participle, past
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diminishing
present participle
verb
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to make or become smaller, fewer, or less
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(tr) architect to cause (a column, etc) to taper
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(tr) music to decrease (a minor or perfect interval) by a semitone
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to belittle or be belittled; reduce in authority, status, etc; depreciate
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
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diminishmentnoun
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prediminishmentnoun
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undiminishablenessnoun
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prediminishverb (used with object)
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diminishableadjective
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nondiminishingadjective
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undiminishableadjective
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undiminishedadjective
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undiminishingadjective
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diminishinglyadverb
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undiminishablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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diminishsimple
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diminishessimple
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have diminishedperfect
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has diminishedperfect
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am diminishingprogressive
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are diminishingprogressive
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is diminishingprogressive
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have been diminishingperfect progressive
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has been diminishingperfect progressive
Past
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diminishedsimple
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had diminishedperfect
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was diminishingprogressive
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were diminishingprogressive
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had been diminishingperfect progressive
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.
Vocabulary lists containing diminish
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 2
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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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:
But the distinction between what the gang has demonstrably done and what is claimed in its name can become blurred in the public imagination, doing little to diminish Bishnoi's notoriety.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
“I want him to be able to say when he’s scared, hurt, embarrassed or wrong without feeling like those things diminish him.”
From Salon ● Oct. 18, 2026
Mourning Israeli civilians, she argued, did not negate the suffering of Palestinians or diminish the struggle against Israel’s government.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
If inflation slows down, chances of a Fed rate hike diminish.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
When the call came, I was able to say nothing to diminish Fiona’s anger or bewilderment.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
"Illness acts as a crossroads in a pontificate -- it either accelerates its momentum or diminishes its power," Vatican watcher Giacomo Galeazzi wrote in La Stampa daily on Thursday.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
A higher interest-rate environment typically diminishes the allure of the non-interest-yielding yellow metal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
The "gender pace gap" diminishes to 0.25% in 100-mile races, according to a study of more than 20 years of amateur ultra-race data conducted by RunRepeat, in collaboration with the International Association of Ultrarunners,
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
The concept of choosing time over money diminishes for mothers who feel unable to pause their careers, even when personal or caregiving demands intensify.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
Felicia’s spirits soar as the coconut ice cream diminishes.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
Treasury yields rose as the rally in risky corners of the stock market diminished the safe-haven appeal of bonds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
But among these people, diminished trust in democratic processes can play out in counterintuitive ways.
From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026
But that advantage diminished in the age of social media.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
The increases diminished within two to three minutes.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 5, 2026
The enemy before them seemed to have grown rather than diminished, and still more were pressing up from the valley through the breach.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
He was part of the TV show that started it all – a pretty great one at that – so his reappearance after years of diminishing returns has sparked excitement and hope in equal measure.
From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026
They repair broken pitchers, taking in wayward arms with busted mechanics and diminishing fastballs and resurrecting their careers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
The focus on the "casseurs" has eclipsed concerns voiced by many protesters, particularly younger people facing expensive housing, uncertain employment prospects and diminishing expectations of matching their parents' living standards.
From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026
Even people who remained physically active showed evidence of diminishing performance as they grew older.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026
The voice rang out sharply from on high, where the diminishing crags were balanced one on another.
From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding
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