diminish

verb

di·​min·​ish də-ˈmi-nish 

diminished; diminishing; diminishes

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

diminishable

də-ˈmi-ni-shə-bəl 

adjective

diminishment

də-ˈmi-nish-mənt 

noun

Synonyms of diminish

• minimize
• dismiss

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 war’s unintended consequences have spread far beyond the Middle East, affecting global security, diminishing America’s global standing, and potentially providing its adversaries with an opportunity to expand their influence. — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026

India still relies on Russia for some weapons and spare parts, but Moscow’s capacity to balance China has diminished. — C. Raja Mohan, Foreign Affairs, 27 Aug. 2026

As more money and attention flow into the space, the challenge is how to capitalize on the cultural cachet of the Grand Slams without diminishing what made that access desirable in the first place. — Jessica Schiffer, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2026

Once the journey time increases, the value proposition diminishes and the project is less likely to succeed. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026

Word History

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

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for diminish

• finish
• finnish
• minish

Kids Definition

diminish

verb

di·​min·​ish də-ˈmin-ish 

1

: to make less or cause to appear less

2

: to lessen the authority, dignity, or reputation of : belittle

3

: to become gradually less (as in size or importance) : dwindle

diminishment

-mənt 

noun