diminish
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
to become smaller, fewer, or less important.
to become gradually less or smaller in size, amount, or degree. Often used intransitively to describe natural or economic trends.
Simple“The noise from the street began to diminish as the night went on.”
In context“The company's profits began to diminish after the new competitor entered the market with a more efficient production model.”
UsageOften used without a direct object to describe a process of reduction.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
to make something seem less important or smaller than it really is.
to reduce the size, importance, or intensity of something. Transitive use requiring a direct object.
Simple“The new law will diminish the power of the local government.”
In context“The administration sought to diminish the impact of the scandal by releasing the report late on a Friday afternoon.”
UsageTakes a direct object, such as 'power', 'influence', or 'impact'.
- 03 C1 Advanced
to treat someone or something as if they are not important or valuable.
to lessen the reputation, authority, or dignity of a person or achievement; to disparage.
Simple“You should not try to diminish her success just because you are jealous.”
In context“Critics attempted to diminish the artist's legacy by focusing solely on his early, less sophisticated works.”
Teacher's tipIn this sense, the word is a more formal and precise alternative to 'put down' or 'belittle'.
“Ageism “others” older people and diminishes their worth.”
“None of this diminishes the extraordinary technical skill of early anatomists.”
Formed under the influence of both diminue (from Old French diminuer, from Latin dīminuo) and minish.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.