Word
downsize
Phoneticsdown·size, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈdaʊnˌsaɪz/
UK/dˈaʊnsaɪz/
Definition
v. to make something smaller, especially a company or a home. A company downsizes when it cuts jobs, and people downsize when they move to a smaller house.
v. to reduce in size, scale, or workforce, especially by cutting staff or moving to smaller premises. Extends from corporate restructuring to personal decisions to live with less space.
Examples
“They downsize their home after the kids leave.”
“The company plans to downsize its main office and move most staff to remote work.”
“After the merger, the board voted to downsize operations in three countries while investing heavily in automation.”
Examples
simple
“They downsize their home after the kids leave.”
contextual
“The company plans to downsize its main office and move most staff to remote work.”
complex
“After the merger, the board voted to downsize operations in three countries while investing heavily in automation.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “downsize” in context.
Verb
01. company downsize
“The company downsized last spring, cutting over 200 jobs.”
noun + verb
02. couple downsize
“After retirement, many couples downsize to a smaller house.”
noun + verb
03. decide to downsize
“After the children left, they decided to downsize to a flat.”
verb + to + verb
04. employer downsize
“When employers downsize, remaining staff face heavier workloads.”
noun + verb
Adjective
05. drastically downsize
“The retailer had to drastically downsize after sales collapsed last year.”
adv + verb
Noun
06. downsize business
“She downsized her business to work from home.”
verb + noun
07. downsize home
“They downsized their home after the kids moved out.”
verb + noun
08. downsize workforce
“The airline downsized its workforce by almost a third.”
verb + noun
09. be forced to downsize
“Many small firms were forced to downsize during the recession.”
10. decide to downsize operations
“The board decided to downsize operations in Asia.”
11. downsize in response to losses
“The newspaper downsized in response to losses in advertising revenue.”
12. downsize to a smaller house
“After retirement, my parents downsized to a smaller house near the coast.”
Usage
Used both transitively and intransitively; commonly takes an object such as staff, operations, or home.
Real-World Examples
“Bradford made that same point Thursday, when he said seniors in Toronto often can’t afford to downsize.” “The BBC in the UK is anticipated to eliminate several hundred positions within its primary news division next week as part of its initial downsizing efforts, as reported by the Financial Times on Monday, referencing sources familiar with the matter.” “Corporate America is downsizing its real estate footprint as companies allow more employees to work from home, a growing threat to the bottom line of owners of traditional office buildings and a sign that companies are looking for ways to cut costs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.” “Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is planning to stop taking new orders for large passenger ships, downsizing its shipbuilding operations due to a slump in orders, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Sunday.” Etymology
From down- + size.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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