minish
Americanverb (used with or without object)
Usage
What does minish mean? Minish means the same thing as diminish—to make or become smaller, fewer, or less. Minish is considered archaic, which means it was once in regular usage but is now largely unused. Example: Our forces have minished, and we must draw back.
Etymology
Origin of minish
1300–50; late Middle English, variant (assimilated to -ish 2 ) of menuse < Middle French menu ( i ) sier < Vulgar Latin *minūtiāre to lessen. See minute 2, mince
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.
High afar The Latmian saw them minish into nought; And, when all were clear vanish'd, still he caught A vivid lightning from that dreadful bow.
From Endymion A Poetic Romance by Keats, John
Ariosto sings: No doubt they are accurst and past all grace That dare to strike a damsel in the face, Or of her head to minish but a hair.
From The Age of the Reformation by Smith, Preserved
But as for her she neither refuseth the hated bridal, nor hath the heart to make and end; so they devour and minish my house; and ere long will they make havoc likewise of myself.
From The Odyssey Done into English prose by Lang, Andrew
O Princess of fair ones, think not that I brought thee hither hither to minish thy honour.
From The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 13 by Burton, Richard Francis, Sir
Nor by prolonging life Take we the least away from death's own time, Nor can we pluck one moment off, whereby To minish the aeons of our state of death.
From On the Nature of Things by Leonard, William Ellery
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.
