I. di-ˈkrēs, ˈdē-ˌ verb
( de·creased ; de·creas·ing )
Etymology: Middle English decreessen, from Anglo-French decrestre, from Latin decrescere, from de- + crescere to grow — more at crescent
Date: 14th century
intransitive verb
: to grow progressively less (as in size, amount, number, or intensity)
transitive verb
: to cause to decrease
• de·creas·ing·ly di-ˈkrē-siŋ-lē, dē- adverb
Synonyms:
decrease , lessen , diminish , reduce , abate , dwindle mean to grow or make less. decrease suggests a progressive decline in size, amount, numbers, or intensity
slowly decreased the amount of pressure
lessen suggests a decline in amount rather than in number
has been unable to lessen her debt
diminish emphasizes a perceptible loss and implies its subtraction from a total
his visual acuity has diminished
reduce implies a bringing down or lowering
you must reduce your caloric intake
abate implies a reducing of something excessive or oppressive in force or amount
the storm abated
dwindle implies progressive lessening and is applied to things growing visibly smaller
their provisions dwindled slowly
II. ˈdē-ˌkrēs, di-ˈ noun
Date: 14th century
1. : the process of decreasing
2. : an amount of diminution : reduction