Word
diminish
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 means to make something smaller, weaker, or less important, or to become smaller, weaker, or less important.
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.