Definitions for diminish
dɪˈmɪn ɪʃdi·min·ish

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:1.0 / 1 vote

1. decrease, diminish, lessen, fallverb

   decrease in size, extent, or range

   "The amount of homework decreased towards the end of the semester"; "The cabin pressure fell dramatically"; "her weight fell to under a hundred pounds"; "his voice fell to a whisper"

2. diminish, belittleverb

   lessen the authority, dignity, or reputation of

   "don't belittle your colleagues"

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. diminishverb

   To make smaller.

2. diminishverb

   To become smaller.

3. diminishverb

   To taper.

4. diminishverb

   To disappear gradually.

5. diminishverb

   To reduce a perfect or minor interval by a semitone.

6. Etymology: From diminuer.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. To DIMINISHverb

   Etymology: diminuo, Latin.

   1. To make less by abscission or destruction of any part: the opposite to increase.

   That we call good which is apt to cause or increase pleasure, or diminish pain in us. John Locke.

   2. To impair; to lessen; to degrade.

   Impiously they thought
   Thee to diminish, and from thee withdraw
   The number of thy worshippers. John Milton, Paradise Lost.

   3. To take any thing from that to which it belongs: the contrary to add.

   Nothing was diminished from the safety of the king by the imprisonment of the duke. John Hayward.

   Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish aught from it. Deut. iv. 2.

2. To Diminishverb

   To grow less; to be impaired.

   What judgment I had increases rather than diminishes; and thoughts, such as they are, come crowding in so fast upon me, that my only difficulty is to chuse or to reject. Dryden.

   Crete’s ample fields diminish to our eye;
   Before the Boreal blasts the vessels fly. Alexander Pope, Odyssey.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Diminishverb

   to make smaller in any manner; to reduce in bulk or amount; to lessen; -- opposed to augment or increase

2. Diminishverb

   to lessen the authority or dignity of; to put down; to degrade; to abase; to weaken

3. Diminishverb

   to make smaller by a half step; to make (an interval) less than minor; as, a diminished seventh

4. Diminishverb

   to take away; to subtract

5. Diminishverb

   to become or appear less or smaller; to lessen; as, the apparent size of an object diminishes as we recede from it

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Diminish

   di-min′ish, v.t. to make less: to take a part from: to degrade.—v.i. to grow or appear less: to subside.—adj. Dimin′ishable.—p.adj. Dimin′ished, made smaller, humbled: (mus.) lessened by a half-step, as an interval.—adv. Dimin′ishingly. [Coined by adding di to the word minish, an imitation of L. diminuĕre—di = dis, apart, minuĕre, to make less.]

Military Dictionary and GazetteerRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. diminish

   In a military sense, means to decrease the front of a battalion; to adopt the columns of march, or manœuvre according to the obstructions and difficulties which it meets in advancing.

Matched Categories

1. • Lessen

British National Corpus

1. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'diminish' in Verbs Frequency: #903

How to pronounce diminish?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say diminish in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of diminish in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of diminish in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of diminish in a Sentence

1. Joe Votel:

   I think the vast majority of U.S. military officers and soldiers served honorably and nobly, answered the nation's call in a time of need. And I think we should take pride in that. And I think they attempted to do that. That this did not turn out the way that we all hoped it would be, I think doesn't diminish that. But certainly, the - you know, there will be a level of accountability that we'll have to accept with this.

2. Warren Young:

   Attacks on tourists diminish the country’s economy. Tourists are often viewed as ‘capitalists’ or ‘Western’...and as such are legitimized as targets of many extremist groups.

3. Thomas Traherne:

   More company increases happiness, but does not lighten or diminish misery.

4. Defense James Mattis:

   He aims to diminish the appeal of the western democratic model and attempts to undermine America's moral authority, his actions are designed not to challenge our arms at this point but to undercut and compromise our belief in our ideals.

5. Precious:

   When we look upon others for happiness we diminish our very existance as individuals.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=diminish
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Diminish
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=diminish
4. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diminish
5. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=diminish
6. ^ Military Dictionary and Gazetteer
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/59563/pg59563-images.html