Word
diminish
To diminish means to make something smaller, weaker, or less important, or to become smaller, weaker, or less important.
Meanings
To make something smaller, weaker, or less intense; to reduce.
To become smaller, weaker, less intense, or less important over time.
To make someone or something seem less important or less impressive; to belittle.
Definition
To diminish is to reduce in size, strength, intensity, or importance. It can describe something that decreases naturally over time, or an action that causes a reduction. It is often used in formal contexts to talk about effects, risks, feelings, or reputation becoming less significant.
Examples
- The editor cut several redundant paragraphs to diminish the article’s length without weakening its argument.
- As you moved away from the stage, the music seemed to diminish until it was barely audible.
- He refused to diminish her achievements, even when the discussion turned competitive.
- After the initial shock, their anger began to diminish and they started to talk calmly.
- I don’t want to diminish the risks, but the data suggests the overall impact is limited.
Common mistake
Learners often confuse "diminish" with "demolish" or "decrease" and use it where a direct numerical reduction is meant (where "decrease" is usually more natural).
More at C1 level
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- xenophobia Xenophobia is a strong dislike or fear of people from other countries or cultures.
- genocide Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular group in order to …
- conundrum A conundrum is a confusing and difficult problem to solve.
- pretentious Trying to seem more important, intelligent, or cultured than you really are.
More verbs
- analyze To examine something carefully in order to understand it or explain it.
- scrutinize To scrutinize something is to examine it very carefully and in detail.
- affect To affect something is to influence it or cause it to change.
- allude To allude means to mention or suggest something indirectly without saying it clearly.
- elude To elude someone or something is to avoid being caught, understood, or remembered.