diminished

British  

/ dɪˈmɪnɪʃt /

adjective

1. reduced or lessened; made smaller

2. music denoting any minor or perfect interval reduced by a semitone

3. music denoting a triad consisting of the root plus a minor third and a diminished fifth

4. music (postpositive) (esp in jazz or pop music) denoting a diminished seventh chord having as its root the note specified

   B diminished

---

Explanation

If you drive through a tunnel, you’ll notice that your cell phone reception is diminished. When something is diminished, it’s been weakened or lessened. Diminished is an adjective used when something has lost its power, prestige, or worth. The value of a car, for instance, is diminished over time by wear and tear. In some instances, diminished means "belittled," or made to seem like less in the face of something perceived as better or greater. The popularity of a laptop, for instance, will be diminished if a cheaper, more powerful model is released. Leaders and politicians who get involved in scandals often suffer diminished reputations.

Example Sentences

Twenty years later, with magazines on their last legs, Anna, er, Miranda, is already diminished.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026

It could have come to life as a lesser kind of Ferrari, a diminished derivative of one of the company’s mainline GT cars, with a turbocharged V8 under the hood.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

In the end, all the participants in this fight might be diminished.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

State Street said that as oil prices slide, worries about Fed rate hikes have diminished.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

After Luna, his radio expert, was captured, Sargo’s reach was even further diminished.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Related Words

• barred
• blocked
• closed
• confined
• controlled
• defined
• deprived
• prescribed
• reduced
• restrained
• secured
• shortened
• tethered