Meaning of diminish in English

Table of contents
  1. Pronunciation
  2. Verb
    1. Etymology
    2. Definitions

  1. Pronunciation

    /dəˈmɪnɪʃ/

    US accent Play button

    UK accent Play button

  1. Verb

    diminish

    Etymology

    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’)

    Definitions

    1. decrease in size, extent, or range

    Examples

    • « The amount of homework decreased towards the end of the semester »
    • « The cabin pressure fell dramatically »
    • « her weight fall to under a hundred pounds »
    • « his voice fell to a whisper »

    Antonyms

    Derived terms

  2. 2. lessen the authority, dignity, or reputation of

    Examples

    • « don't belittle your colleagues »

Famous quotes

  • « Grandeur and beauty are so very opposite, that you often diminish the one as you increase the other. Variety is most akin to the latter, simplicity to the former. »
    William Shenstone
  • « Another argument, vaguer and even less persuasive, is that gay marriage somehow does harm to heterosexual marriage. I have yet to meet anyone who can explain to me what this means. In what way would allowing same-sex partners to marry diminish the marriages of heterosexual couples? »
    Ted Olson
  • « More company increases happiness, but does not lighten or diminish misery. »
    Thomas Traherne
  • « One certain effect of war is to diminish freedom of expression. »
    Howard Zinn
  • « If you really want to diminish a candidate, depict him as the foil of his handler. This is as old in American politics as politics itself. »
    Karl Rove

Browse dictionary