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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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 2
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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:
The office also expressed concern that fees by a securities holder would diminish a forgotten account.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 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
Airplane cabins’ lower humidity levels can diminish passengers’ ability to taste and smell, leaving light wines tasting like water, or highly acidic wines tasting sour and overly tangy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
He spoke French very poorly, but that didn’t stop him or diminish his enthusiasm.
From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple
As that plutonium supply steadily diminishes, each spacecraft loses about 4 watts of available power every year.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 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
None of that diminishes anything for each of the 1,248 players who will participate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
Her smile diminishes, but there's still hope in her eyes as she speaks.
From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi
Brown was convicted of manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 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
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
Meanwhile, our Middle East correspondents explore whether Iran’s diminished diplomats can broker a breakthrough to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
"This was only a few years ago. What if those impulses have grown with her, rather than diminished?"
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
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
They know about the diminishing stockpiles of key U.S. weapons such as advanced missile interceptors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
Sara Dosa’s latest documentary follows Icelandic writer Andri Snær Magnason as he reflects on his country’s diminishing glaciers and how they connect with his ancestry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Or perhaps she favors neither of them and only wants the sea to have greater power, by diminishing the power of the land.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
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.
