DECREASE

decrease, diminution, reduction, step-down

(noun) the act of decreasing or reducing something

decrease, decrement

(noun) the amount by which something decreases

decrease, lessening, drop-off

(noun) a change downward; “there was a decrease in his temperature as the fever subsided”; “there was a sharp drop-off in sales”

decrease, decrement

(noun) a process of becoming smaller or shorter

decrease, diminish, lessen, fall

(verb) 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”

decrease, lessen, minify

(verb) make smaller; “He decreased his staff”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Verb

decrease (third-person singular simple present decreases, present participle decreasing, simple past and past participle decreased)

(intransitive) Of a quantity, to become smaller.

(transitive) To make (a quantity) smaller.

Synonyms

• (become smaller): drop, fall, go down, plummet (rapidly), plunge (rapidly), reduce, shrink, sink; See also decrease

• (make smaller): abate, cut, decrement, lower, reduce; See also diminish

Antonyms

• (become larger): go up, grow, increase, rise, soar (rapidly), shoot up (rapidly); See also increase

• (make larger): increase, increment, raise, up (informal); See also augment

Noun

decrease (countable and uncountable, plural decreases)

An amount by which a quantity is decreased.

(knitting) A reduction in the number of stitches, usually accomplished by suspending the stitch to be decreased from another existing stitch or by knitting it together with another stitch. See Decrease (knitting).

Synonyms

• (amount by which a quantity is decreased): cut, decrement, drop, fall, loss, lowering, reduction, shrinkage

Antonyms

• (amount by which a quantity is decreased): gain, increase, increment, raise (US, of pay), rise

Anagrams

• deceaser

Source: Wiktionary


De*crease", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Decreased; p. pr. & vb. n. Decreasing.] Etym: [OE. decrecen, fr. OF. decreistre, F. décroître, or from the OF. noun (see Decrease, n.), fr. L. decrescere to grow less; de + crescere to grow. See Crescent, and cf. Increase.]

Definition: To grow less, -- opposed to increase; to be diminished gradually, in size, degree, number, duration, etc., or in strength, quality, or excellence; as, they days decrease in length from June to December. He must increase, but I must decrease. John iii. 30.

Syn.

– To Decrease, Diminish. Things usually decrease or fall off by degrees, and from within, or through some cause which is imperceptible; as, the flood decreases; the cold decreases; their affection has decreased. Things commonly diminish by an influence from without, or one which is apparent; as, the army was diminished by disease; his property is diminishing through extravagance; their affection has diminished since their separation their separation. The turn of thought, however, is often such that these words may be interchanged. The olive leaf, which certainly them told The flood decreased. Drayton. Crete's ample fields diminish to our eye; Before the Boreal blasts the vessels fly. Pope.

De*crease", v. t.

Definition: To cause to grow less; to diminish gradually; as, extravagance decreases one's means. That might decrease their present store. Prior.

De*crease", n. Etym: [OE. decrees, OF. decreis, fr. decreistre. See Decrease, v.]

1. A becoming less; gradual diminution; decay; as, a decrease of revenue or of strength.

2. The wane of the moon. Bacon.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

27 November 2024

NAUSEATING

(adjective) causing or able to cause nausea; “a nauseating smell”; “nauseous offal”; “a sickening stench”


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Coffee Trivia

Some 16th-century Italian clergymen tried to ban coffee because they believed it to be “satanic.” However, Pope Clement VII loved coffee so much that he lifted the ban and had coffee baptized in 1600.

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