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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

The impact seemed to diminish afterward, with yields rebounding at the end of last week.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 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

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

"I would never seek to diminish or dismiss any survivor's experience, or to make anyone feel that their pain was not heard or understood," they added.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

Then Sam began to hum some tune I knew but couldn’t quite name, and Esme played with her duck in the tub, and ever so slowly, the Feeling began to diminish.

From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs

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

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

None of that diminishes anything for each of the 1,248 players who will participate.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 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

But that breakthrough represented the first effort in a long career spent exposing exploitative working conditions for women other journalists diminished or outright dismissed.

From Salon ● Sep. 3, 2026

Appalachia is known for its struggles with nutrition, health disparities, diminished access to fresh food, and poverty.

From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026

Alexander-Arnold watched England throughout the World Cup and said his determination to return to the international stage has not been diminished.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 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

This fact gave him no solace, for he saw immediately that the same phenomenon that had diminished nearly every one of his works—Central Park, Biltmore, the world’s fair, and so many others—had occurred yet again.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

It’s another reminder of the diminishing trust in today’s job market, like the questionable future of the cover letter.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 5, 2026

Dale pointed to how his own father would often tell him "I love you" after letting him down, diminishing the meaning of the words.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

Given the sheer size of the devastation and the passing days, the chances of finding survivors are diminishing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

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

“Yeah, fish feces,” she answered, not lifting her eyes from the book she was studying in the diminishing light.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

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