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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 1taper 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
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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 of diminish from the Web
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For pitchers, the win statistic may be an archaic measurement, one whose importance has diminished over the decades.
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The special representative played a diminishing role in recent years as the Afghan war faded from the headlines.
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Metro believes the emergence of Uber and Lyft, paired with cheap gas and laws allowing undocumented Californians to obtain drivers licenses, contribute to the diminishing riders.
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However, the concerns for higher winds diminished for Alabama's coastline, and it was removed from a tropical storm warning that had been in effect.
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Quantitative grades also diminish student interest in learning, reduce academic risk taking, and decrease the quality of thinking.
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Babies born with congenital Zika syndrome often have severe microcephaly, diminished brain tissue and eye damage, as well as restricted joint movement and rigid muscle tone.
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The Illinois Supreme Court ruled the changes violated a state constitution provision that benefits cannot be diminished.
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Buprenorphine interacts with brain receptors affected by opioid drugs like heroin, helping diminish the effects of physical dependency to these drugs, such as withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
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.
Origin and Etymology of diminish
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
Synonym Discussion of diminish
DIMINISH Defined for English Language Learners
diminish
playDefinition of diminish for English Language Learners
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: to become or to cause (something) to become less in size, importance, etc.
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: to lessen the authority or reputation of (someone or something) : to describe (something) as having little value or importance
DIMINISH Defined for Kids
diminish
playDefinition of diminish for Students
diminished
;diminishing
1 : to make less or cause to seem less … he didn't want to diminish any chance he might have of being found. — Gary Paulsen, Hatchet
2 : belittle
3 : to become gradually less or smaller The number of wild birds is diminishing.
diminishment
\-mənt\ nounLearn More about diminish
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See words that rhyme with diminish Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for diminish Spanish Central: Translation of diminish Nglish: Translation of diminish for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of diminish for Arabic speakers
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