decreasing
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.used to describe something that is currently getting smaller or lower.
adj.describing a quantity or value that is in a state of reduction.
Simple“There is a decreasing demand for traditional newspapers as more people read news online.”
In context“The study observed a decreasing trend in local biodiversity, which researchers attributed to rapid urban expansion and habitat fragmentation.”
UsageUsually placed before a noun to describe a trend or pattern.
Teacher's tipCommon in academic and technical writing to describe data trends.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
n.the act or process of something getting smaller.
n.the gerund form used as a noun to represent the process of reduction.
Simple“The decreasing of prices helped the shop sell all its old stock.”
In context“The steady decreasing of the water level in the reservoir has become a major concern for the local agricultural board.”
UsageUsed as the subject or object of a sentence to discuss the concept of reduction.
Teacher's tipThis noun use is less common than the simple noun 'decrease'; it emphasizes the ongoing process.
From decrease + -ing (participial suffix).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.