- DictionaryDi·min·ish/dəˈminiSH/
verb
- 1. make or become less: "a tax whose purpose is to diminish spending" Similar decreasedeclinereducelessenshrinkcontractgrow smallerfall offdrop offslacken offfalldropsinkslumpplummetplungefall off a cliffinformal:hit the floorgo through the floorgo downhillreducecurtailcutcut downcut backprunepare downlessenlowerdecreaseshrinkcontractnarrowconstrictrestrictlimitcurbcheckbluntweakenmake weakererodeunderminesapsubsidewaneabatedwindlefadedeclineslackenmoderateebbrecededie awaydie downdie outpeter outtail offcool offlet upfizzle outsettle downcome to an endarchaic:remitOpposite increaseincreaseflare upget worse
- ▪ make (someone or something) seem less impressive or valuable: "the trial has aged and diminished him" Similar belittledisparagedenigratedeprecatedepreciatedevaluedemeandecrycast aspersions onspeak ill ofspeak badly ofrun downabuseinsultrevilemalignvilifyslurinformal:bad-mouthpull to piecespull apartsling mud atdo a hatchet job onrubbishslateslag offhave a go atrare:aspersederogatevilipendvituperateOpposite boost
Word Origin late Middle English: blend of archaic minish ‘diminish’ (based on Latin minutia ‘smallness’) and obsolete diminue ‘speak disparagingly’ (based on Latin deminuere ‘lessen’ (in late Latin diminuere), from minuere ‘make small’).
Derivatives
- 1. diminishable adjective
Scrabble Points: 14
D
2I
1M
3I
1N
1I
1S
1H
4
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