13 definitions found for diminish

Diminish DIMINISH, v.t. [L., to lessen; less.]
1. To lessen; to make less or smaller, by any means; opposed to increase and augment; as, to diminish the size of a thing by contraction, or by cutting off a part; to diminish a number by subtraction; to diminish the revenue by limiting commerce, or reducing the customs; to diminish strength or safety; to diminish the heat of a room. It is particularly applied to bulk and quantity, as shorten is to length.
2. To lessen; to impair; to degrade.
I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations. Ezek 29.
3. In music, to take from a note by a sharp, flat or natural.
To diminish from, to take away something.
Neither shall you diminish aught from it Deu 4.
DIMINISH, v.i. To lessen; to become or appear less or smaller. The size of an object diminishes, as we recede from it.

diminish v 1: decrease in size, extent, or range; "The amount of homework decreased towards the end of the semester"; "The cabin pressure fell dramatically"; "her weight fell to under a hundred pounds"; "his voice fell to a whisper" [syn: decrease, diminish, lessen, fall] [ant: increase] 2: lessen the authority, dignity, or reputation of; "don't belittle your colleagues" [syn: diminish, belittle]

diminish minidish

diminish verb Etymology: Middle English deminishen, alteration of diminuen, from Anglo-French diminuer, from Late Latin diminuere, alteration of Latin deminuere, from de- + minuere to lessen — more at minor Date: 15th century transitive verb 1. to make less or cause to appear less <diminish an army's strength> 2. to lessen the authority, dignity, or reputation of ; belittle <diminish a rival's accomplishments> 3. to cause to taper intransitive verb 1. to become gradually less (as in size or importance) ; dwindle 2. taper Synonyms: see decrease • diminishable adjective • diminishment noun

diminish
v.
1 tr. & intr. make or become smaller or less.
2 tr. lessen the reputation or influence of (a person).
Phrases and idioms:
law of diminishing returns Econ. the fact that the increase of expenditure, investment, taxation, etc., beyond a certain point ceases to produce a proportionate yield.
Derivatives:
diminishable adj.
Etymology: ME, blending of earlier minish f. OF menusier (formed as MINCE) and diminue f. OF diminuer f. L diminuere diminut- break up small

diminish (diminishes, diminishing, diminished) 1. When something diminishes, or when something diminishes it, it becomes reduced in size, importance, or intensity. The threat of nuclear war has diminished... Federalism is intended to diminish the power of the central state... Universities are facing grave problems because of diminishing resources... This could mean diminished public support for the war. ≠ increase VERB: V, V n, V-ing, V-ed 2. If you diminish someone or something, you talk about them or treat them in a way that makes them appear less important than they really are. He never put her down or diminished her... VERB: V n

diminish dɪˈmɪnɪʃ v. 1 tr. & intr. make or become smaller or less. 2 tr. lessen the reputation or influence of (a person). ølaw of diminishing returns Econ. the fact that the increase of expenditure, investment, taxation, etc., beyond a certain point ceases to produce a proportionate yield. øødiminishable adj. [ME, blending of earlier minish f. OF menusier (formed as MINCE) and diminue f. OF diminuer f. L diminuere diminut- break up small]

diminish
wanian

Diminish Di*min"ish, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Diminished; p. pr. & vb. n. Diminishing.] [Pref. di- (= L. dis-) + minish: cf. L. diminuere, F. diminuer, OE. diminuen. See Dis-, and Minish.] 1. To make smaller in any manner; to reduce in bulk or amount; to lessen; -- opposed to augment or increase. Not diminish, but rather increase, the debt. --Barrow. 2. To lessen the authority or dignity of; to put down; to degrade; to abase; to weaken. This doth nothing diminish their opinion. --Robynson (More's Utopia). I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations. --Ezek. xxix. 15. O thou . . . at whose sight all the stars Hide their diminished heads. --Milton. 3. (Mus.) To make smaller by a half step; to make (an interval) less than minor; as, a diminished seventh. 4. To take away; to subtract. Neither shall ye diminish aught from it. --Deut. iv. 2. Diminished column, one whose upper diameter is less than the lower. Diminished, or Diminishing, scale, a scale of gradation used in finding the different points for drawing the spiral curve of the volute. --Gwilt. Diminishing rule (Arch.), a board cut with a concave edge, for fixing the entasis and curvature of a shaft. Diminishing stile (Arch.), a stile which is narrower in one part than in another, as in many glazed doors. Syn: To decrease; lessen; abate; reduce; contract; curtail; impair; degrade. See Decrease.

Diminish Di*min"ish, v. i. To become or appear less or smaller; to lessen; as, the apparent size of an object diminishes as we recede from it.

diminish I. v. a. Lessen, decrease, abate, reduce, contract, make smaller. II. v. n. Decrease, lessen, abate, subside, contract, grow or become less, be reduced, become smaller.

diminish dɪˈmɪnɪʃ v. 1 decrease, decline, abate, lessen, reduce, lower, shrink, curtail, contract, lop, crop, dock, clip, prune, cut, truncate, cut down, abbreviate, shorten, abridge, compress, condense, pare (down), scale down, boil down: As the height increases, the pressure diminishes. The need for police patrols was diminished when we hired security guards. 2 belittle, disparage, degrade, downgrade, discredit, detract (from), vitiate, debase, deprecate, demean, derogate, depreciate, vilipend, devalue, cheapen, put down, dismiss, humiliate, demean, reject: His abuse by the authorities did not diminish him in her eyes. 3 wane, fade, dwindle, ebb, die out or away, peter out, recede, subside; slacken, let up, wind down, slow (down), ease (off), Colloq run out of steam: Soaking in the hot water, I felt the tensions of mind and body gradually diminishing. The campaign finally diminished to a negligible effort.

249 Moby Thesaurus words for "diminish": abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, ablate, abrade, abridge, abstract, abuse, adjust to, allay, alleviate, allow for, alter, anesthetize, appease, assuage, attemper, attenuate, bank the fire, bate, be eaten away, belittle, benumb, blunt, boil down, box in, bring down, bring low, chasten, cheapen, circumscribe, clip, close, color, compress, condense, condition, confine, constrain, constrict, consume, consume away, contract, control, corrode, crop, crumble, crush, curtail, cushion, cut, cut back, cut down, damp, dampen, de-emphasize, deaden, deaden the pain, debase, decline, decrease, deduct, deflate, degrade, deliquesce, demean, deprecate, depreciate, depress, derogate, desiccate, detract, detract from, devalue, die away, die out, discredit, dismiss, disparage, dispraise, dive, dock, downgrade, downplay, drain, draw in, drift away, droop, drop, drop off, dry up, dull, dump, dump on, dwindle, ease, ease matters, ease off, eat away, ebb, erode, extenuate, extract, fade, fade away, fall, fall away, fall off, file away, flag, foment, give relief, gloss over, go, go away, go in, hedge, hedge about, humiliate, ignore, impair, keep within bounds, languish, lay, leach, leaven, lenify, lessen, let up, lighten, limit, lop, lower, lull, make allowance for, melt away, mince, minify, minimize, mitigate, moderate, modify, modulate, mollify, move away, move off, narrow, numb, obtund, pad, palliate, pare, peter out, pine, play down, plummet, plunge, poultice, pour balm into, pour oil on, prune, pull away, purify, put down, qualify, recede, reduce, reduce the temperature, refine, regulate by, reject, relieve, remove, restrain, restrict, retire, retreat, retrench, retrocede, roll back, rub away, run low, sag, salve, scale down, sear, season, set conditions, set down, set limits, shorten, shrink, shrivel, simplify, sink, slacken, slake, slow down, slur over, smother, snape, sober, sober down, soft-pedal, soften, soothe, stand off, step down, stifle, straiten, stupe, subduct, subdue, subside, subtract, suppress, tail off, take away, take down, take from, tame, taper, taper off, temper, thin, thin out, tone down, trip up, truncate, tune down, underplay, varnish, vitiate, wane, waste, waste away, weaken, wear, wear away, weed, whitewash, widen the distance, wilt, wind down, withdraw, wither, wizen, write off