diminish

1 to express scornfully one's low opinion of <tends to diminish any rival's accomplishments with snide remarks> Synonyms bad-mouth, belittle, cry down, denigrate, deprecate, depreciate, derogate, decry, dis (also diss) [slang], discount, dismiss, disparage, kiss off, minimize, play down, poor-mouth, put down, run down, talk down, trash, trash-talk, vilipend, write offRelated Words discommend; abuse, scold; disapprove (of), dislike; censure, condemn, criticize, denounce, reprehend, reprobate; asperse, defame, malign, rip, slander, slur, traduce, vilify; discredit, disgraceNear Antonyms approve, countenance, endorse (also indorse), favor, recommend, sanction; commend, compliment, eulogizeAntonyms acclaim, applaud, exalt, extol (also extoll), glorify, laud, magnify, praise

2 to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent <the state's blood supplies were severely diminished by the two consecutive disasters> Synonyms abate, de-escalate, dent, deplete, decrease, downscale, downsize, drop, dwindle, ease, knock down, lessen, lower, reduceRelated Words compress, condense, constrict, contract; abbreviate, abridge, clip, crop, curtail, cut, cut back, cut down, dock, nick, pare, prune, retrench, shorten, slash, trim, truncate, whittle; deflate, shrink; minimize; moderate, modify, modulate, qualifyNear Antonyms blow up, dilate, distend, inflate, swell; elongate, extend, lengthen, prolong, protract; add (to), complement, supplement; enhance, heighten, intensify; redoubleAntonyms aggrandize, amplify, augment, boost, enlarge, escalate, expand, increase, raise

3 to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually <the sound of the train diminished as our distance from it increased> Synonyms abate, decline, de-escalate, die (away or down or out), decrease, drain (away), drop (off), dwindle, ease, ebb, fall, fall away, lessen, let up, lower, moderate, pall, phase down, ratchet (down) also rachet (down), recede, relent, remit, shrink, subside, taper, taper off, waneRelated Words compress, condense, constrict, contract; evaporate, fade (away), fritter (away), give out, melt (away), peter (out), tail (off), vanish; slacken, slow (down); alleviate, relax; flag, sink, weaken; cave (in), collapse, deflateNear Antonyms appear, emerge, show up; blow up, distend, elongate, lengthenAntonyms accumulate, balloon, build, burgeon (also bourgeon), enlarge, escalate, expand, grow, increase, intensify, mount, mushroom, pick up, rise, snowball, soar, swell, wax