diminish

verb

di·min·ish | \ də-ˈmi-nish

diminished; diminishing; diminishes

Definition of diminish

transitive verb

1 : to make less or cause to appear less diminish an army's strength His role in the company was diminished.

2 : to lessen the authority, dignity, or reputation of : belittle diminish a rival's accomplishments

3 architecture : to cause to taper (see taper entry 1 sense 1) a diminished column

intransitive verb

1 : to become gradually less (as in size or importance) : dwindle the side effects tend to diminish over time

2 architecture : taper

Other Words from diminish Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about diminish

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Other Words from diminish

diminishable \ də-ˈmi-ni-shə-bəl

\ adjective

diminishment \ də-ˈmi-nish-mənt

\ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for diminish

decrease, lessen, diminish, reduce, abate, dwindle mean to grow or make less. decrease suggests a progressive decline in size, amount, numbers, or intensity. slowly decreased the amount of pressure lessen suggests a decline in amount rather than in number. has been unable to lessen her debt diminish emphasizes a perceptible loss and implies its subtraction from a total. his visual acuity has diminished reduce implies a bringing down or lowering. you must reduce your caloric intake abate implies a reducing of something excessive or oppressive in force or amount. the storm abated dwindle implies progressive lessening and is applied to things growing visibly smaller. their provisions dwindled slowly

Examples of diminish in a Sentence

The strength of the army was greatly diminished by outbreaks of disease. The drug's side effects should diminish over time. Nothing could diminish the importance of his contributions.

Recent Examples on the Web

But the original trilogy tried to show audiences meaning without explicitly telling you what to feel, a philosophy diminished with the digital remasters and flat-out destroyed in the prequels. — Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, "This Reimagined Star Wars Fight Scene Is Amazing—but Mostly Makes Me Sad," 8 May 2019 That is a belief that seems so deeply diminished now. — Jennifer Wright, Harper's BAZAAR, "Notre Dame Is a Cruel Metaphor for Our World Right Now," 25 Apr. 2019 Quality of housing declined, maintenance suffered, and the supply of affordable homes diminished. — Diana Budds, Curbed, "3 ways architects can improve social equity," 8 Nov. 2018 With Machado batting third, the spot once controlled by Braun before age and injuries diminished him, scoring runs should be considerably easier. — Tom Haudricourt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Haudricourt: Brewers looking to go big with Manny Machado, who is an absolutely perfect fit," 13 July 2018 In the months since, Mulvaney has been criticized by consumer advocates for trying to diminish the agency's powers. — James Rufus Koren, latimes.com, "Wells Fargo to pay $1 billion in fines over auto, mortgage lending abuses," 20 Apr. 2018 The drama of costume and camp isn’t diminished in Larry’s bias jersey pieces, like a dress-meets-cape aquamarine number worn with a feathered hat and coordinating muff. — Steff Yotka, Vogue, "Rick Owens Loves Larry LeGaspi—And You Should Too," 23 Jan. 2019 Because their essential oils are diminished by heat, herbs are added toward the end of savory cooking time as a way of balancing flavor. — Francine Maroukian, Popular Mechanics, "How Herbs and Spices Can Make You Cook Like a Pro," 13 Nov. 2018 That the trust in that great agency is diminished because of the actions of those few at the top. — Fox News, "Gorka on New Mexico compound case 'travesty'," 15 Aug. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'diminish.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.