INDEX:
1. to reduce the number, amount, price, or size of something
2. to reduce pain, worry, or unpleasant feelings
3. to reduce the amount of something that you eat, drink, or use
4. when a company reduces its activities, the amount it spends etc
5. to make a written or spoken statement less forceful
6. to reduce something gradually
7. a reduction in number, prices, levels etc
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ INCREASE
see also
↑ LESS
↑ SMALL
↑ STOP
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1. to reduce the number, amount, price, or size of something
▷ reduce /rɪˈdjuːsǁrɪˈduːs/ [transitive verb]
to make something less in amount or level :
▪ I was hoping they would reduce the price a little.
greatly/significantly/dramatically reduce
▪ You can greatly reduce your heating bills by using low-energy heaters.
dramatically/drastically reduce
▪ Their income has been drastically reduced.
reduce something by half/10%/2 years etc
▪ The new road will reduce traffic through the town by 30%.
▪ Benefits will be reduced by $50 for each child who fails to attend school.
reduced [adjective]
▪ Most airlines offer reduced prices for children.
▷ lower /ˈləʊəʳ/ [transitive verb]
to reduce an amount, limit, or level - use this especially in writing about business or technical subjects :
▪ After 20 minutes, lower the temperature to 200 degrees.
▪ The Bundesbank is under pressure to lower interest rates.
▷ cut /kʌt/ [transitive verb]
to reduce something by a lot, especially prices, time, or money :
▪ The new system is aimed at cutting the average waiting time.
cut something by half/several weeks/ten per cent etc
▪ Because of the recession, salaries in the advertising industry have been cut by a half.
▪ The mortgage insurance agency has cut costs by $2000 over the last 3 years, making it easier for people to buy homes.
cut something from/to something
▪ His annual leave has been cut from six weeks to just three.
▷ turn down /ˌtɜːʳn ˈdaʊn/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to reduce the level of sound, heat, light etc, especially by turning a control :
turn something down
▪ Could you turn the lights down - it’s too bright in here.
turn down something
▪ The weather wasn’t as cold, so we decided to turn down the central heating.
turn something down slightly/a little/a bit
▪ Would you mind turning the volume down a little?
▷ decrease /dɪˈkriːs/ [transitive verb]
to reduce something, especially by a fairly small amount or number :
▪ Various methods are being explored in order to decrease the volume of traffic on our roads.
▪ Better health education should help to decrease the incidence of heart disease.
▪ Use of the new nets has significantly decreased the number of dolphins killed accidentally each year.
▷ slash /slæʃ/ [transitive verb] informal
to reduce prices by a very large amount - used especially in advertisements and newspapers :
▪ American car manufacturers have started slashing prices in an effort to stimulate sales.
▪ Public spending has been slashed over the past two years.
slash something by 10%/half/75% etc
▪ Come to our Summer Sale, where prices have been slashed by up to 75%.
▷ knock down /ˌnɒk ˈdaʊnǁˌnɑːk-/ [transitive phrasal verb] informal
to reduce the price of something by a large amount, especially in order to make it easier to sell :
knock down something
▪ Shops are knocking down prices in an effort to increase sales.
knock something down
▪ In the end he knocked the price down to £70.
▷ halve /hɑːvǁhæv/ [transitive verb]
to reduce something by half :
▪ The overseas aid budget has been almost halved, from $18m to just over $10m.
▷ roll back /ˌrəʊl ˈbæk/ [transitive phrasal verb] American
to reduce prices :
roll back something
▪ Most of the big downtown stores have rolled back their prices to dispose of winter stock.
roll something back
▪ Rather than roll prices back, the company negotiated pay increases that ranged between 10 and 15 percent.
2. to reduce pain, worry, or unpleasant feelings
▷ reduce /rɪˈdjuːsǁrɪˈduːs/ [transitive verb]
▪ They gave him drugs to reduce the pain.
▪ Prompt action can often reduce the severity of shock in road accident victims.
▪ Miriam finds that yoga and meditation help her in reducing stress.
greatly/significantly/dramatically reduce
▪ Stopping smoking can significantly reduce your risk of suffering a heart attack.
▷ lessen /ˈles ə n/ [transitive verb]
to slightly reduce pain or bad feelings :
▪ He shifted his position a little, in order to lessen the pain in his leg.
▪ Everyone has their own ideas about the best way to lessen jet lag.
▪ Boys are more likely to smoke to relieve stress than girls are.
▷ lighten /ˈlaɪtn/ [transitive verb]
to reduce the amount of work or worry that someone has :
lighten somebody’s load/workload
▪ Maybe we should hire another secretary to lighten Barbara’s workload.
▷ relieve /rɪˈliːv/ [transitive verb]
to make pain or feelings less unpleasant :
▪ Peppermint has long been regarded as a plant that can relieve indigestion.
▪ Magnetic board games can help relieve the boredom of long car journeys for kids.
▪ Harry attempted a couple of jokes to relieve the tension of the occasion.
relief /rɪˈliːf/ [uncountable noun]
▪ Massage is excellent for the relief of stress.
▪ Various methods can be used for pain relief during childbirth.
▷ ease /iːz/ [transitive verb]
to reduce pain or unpleasant feelings and make someone feel happier or more comfortable :
▪ Rod rubbed his jaw to ease the pain a little.
▪ The arrival of the others eased her embarrassment slightly.
▷ alleviate /əˈliːvieɪt/ [transitive verb] formal
to reduce pain, make a problem less serious, or reduce feelings such as being bored or anxious :
▪ You can’t cure a common cold, but you can alleviate the symptoms.
▪ Western aid has helped to alleviate the situation in northern India.
alleviation /əˌliːviˈeɪʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
▪ the alleviation of pain
▷ deaden/dull /ˈdedn, dʌl/ [transitive verb]
to reduce physical pain or emotional problems, especially with the result that you feel nothing at all :
▪ They gave me a local anaesthetic to deaden the pain.
▪ It was impossible not to think about her baby, but the drugs dulled her panic.
▷ take the edge off /ˌteɪk ði ˈedʒ ɒf/ [verb phrase]
to make something such as pain, hunger, or a shock slightly less unpleasant or upsetting :
▪ I took a couple of painkillers, which took the edge off the pain.
▪ Knowing that Peter was close by took the edge off my anxiety for my grandson.
▷ allay /əˈleɪ/ [transitive verb]
allay somebody’s fears/concern/suspicions etc
formal
to make someone much less frightened, concerned etc :
▪ The government is anxious to allay public fears over the safety of beef.
▪ Showing her his identity card went some way towards allaying her suspicions.
3. to reduce the amount of something that you eat, drink, or use
▷ cut down /ˌkʌt ˈdaʊn/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
if you cut down on food, alcoholic drink, or tobacco, you eat, drink, or smoke less of it, especially in order to lose weight or to improve your health :
▪ If you can’t give up smoking completely, at least try to cut down.
cut down on
▪ I’m trying to cut down on meat.
▷ reduce /rɪˈdjuːsǁrɪˈduːs/ [transitive verb]
to reduce the amount of something that you eat, drink, or use. Reduce is more formal than cut down :
▪ Doctors are urging people to reduce the amount of salt in their diet.
▪ Supermarkets can help promote healthy eating habits by reducing the amount of sugar and fat in their products.
4. when a company reduces its activities, the amount it spends etc
▷ scale down also scale back American /ˌskeɪl ˈdaʊn, ˌskeɪl ˈbæk/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to reduce something, such as the size of an organization or a plan, so that it is still operating but on a smaller level :
scale down/back something
▪ European central banks have scaled down their operations in South Africa.
scale something down/back
▪ The two companies have announced plans to scale back production next year.
▪ Development projects were scaled down, and some proposals for new buildings were put on hold.
▷ cut back /ˌkʌt ˈbæk/ [intransitive/transitive phrasal verb]
to reduce the numbers of something or the time or money spent on something, especially because you can no longer afford to continue at the previous level :
cut back on
▪ Her friends know that she is under stress and have warned her to cut back on her workload.
cut back something
▪ Our budget has been cut back this year.
▪ Farmers have agreed to cut back wheat production.
cut something back
▪ We have had to cut expenditure back in an effort to increase profits.
cutback /ˈkʌtbæk/ [countable noun]
▪ Schools and hospitals could suffer as a result of government cutbacks.
cut back in
▪ There has been a significant cutback in the defence budget this year.
▷ downsize/rightsize /ˌdaʊnˈsaɪz, ˌraɪtˈsaɪz/ [transitive verb] especially American
to reduce the number of people who work for a company, especially in order to save money :
▪ They are downsizing the workforce in a desperate attempt to save the firm.
▪ Advised to rightsize its operation, the company has shrunk to 2,000 employees.
▷ pare down /ˌpeəʳ ˈdaʊn/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to reduce something by small amounts over a period of time so that the effect is not very serious or noticeable while it is happening :
pare down something
▪ The company has pared down expenditure and hopes to recoup its losses this year.
pare something down
▪ We have managed to pare our costs down to the absolute minimum.
▷ rationalize also rationalise British /ˈræʃ ə nəlaɪz/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to try to make a company more effective by getting rid of unnecessary workers etc :
▪ We are a small company, and we need to rationalize if we want to compete in this market.
▪ The company has done a lot to rationalize production.
▷ wind down /ˌwaɪnd ˈdaʊn/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to gradually reduce the work of a company or organization so that it can be closed down completely :
wind something down
▪ The old sickness benefit system is slowly being wound down.
wind something down
▪ I want to return in a few years’ time - I’ve already started to wind the business down.
▷ run down /ˌrʌn ˈdaʊn/ [transitive phrasal verb] especially British
to deliberately make something such as a company, an industry, or a public service weaker and weaker, by giving it less and less money :
run down something
▪ Opposition leaders are accusing the government of running down the Health Service.
run something down
▪ They buy up rival companies then just run them down.
▷ trim /trɪm/ [transitive verb]
to reduce something by a small amount that will not harm or change it very much, especially in order to save money :
▪ By trimming costs and improving service the hotel has now started to make a profit again.
trim something by 10% etc
▪ The proposed bill would trim welfare spending by $5 billion.
▷ streamline /ˈstriːmlaɪn/ [transitive verb]
to reduce the costs of something such as a service or industry by employing fewer people, reducing the number of things you produce or provide etc - used especially in business contexts :
▪ The government is once again attempting to streamline the health care service in order to pay for tax cuts.
▪ The company announced it was to streamline its operations and close down three factories in the UK.
5. to make a written or spoken statement less forceful
▷ tone down /ˌtəʊn ˈdaʊn/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to reduce the effect of a speech or piece of writing, especially by making the language you use less forceful :
tone something down
▪ I felt my letter was worded too strongly, so I toned it down a bit.
tone down something
▪ Wagner was forced to tone down his remarks about his opponent when it became obvious that the attacks were costing him votes.
▷ moderate /ˈmɒd ə reɪtǁˈmɑː-/ [transitive verb]
to make your language more acceptable, especially by not swearing or being very rude :
▪ We had to ask Joan to moderate her language in front of the kids.
▪ She apologized at once, and moderated her voice.
▷ dilute /daɪˈluːt/ [transitive verb]
to reduce the effect or force of an argument or belief, by accepting additional people, things, or ideas that may make it bigger but also weaker :
▪ Right wing groups are determined to dilute the influence of the trade unions.
▪ They felt that their original aims and demands were being diluted.
6. to reduce something gradually
▷ erode /ɪˈrəʊd/ [transitive verb]
to gradually reduce the amount or value of something, especially money, wages, or profits over a period of time :
▪ Over the years, the value of our savings and investments has been eroded by inflation.
gradually/steadily erode
▪ High interest rates can gradually erode profit margins.
▷ eat into /ˈiːt ɪntʊː/ [transitive phrasal verb]
if costs, rising prices, etc eat into the amount of money you have, they reduce its value :
▪ Rising rents and travel expenses simply eat into any pay rise that nurses might get.
▪ Theft from offices and factories eats into company profits.
▷ deplete /dɪˈpliːt/ [transitive verb]
to reduce the amount of something to a level that is too low :
▪ Over the last few years, rainforests have been steadily depleted.
▪ He knew that the area’s rich plant life had been severely depleted by the huge herds of cows grazing the land.
▪ CFC is just one chemical that depletes the ozone layer.
▷ chip away at /ˌtʃɪp əˈweɪ æt/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to gradually reduce the strength of something by repeated small amounts :
▪ High interest rates can chip away at your profits.
▪ The group continues to campaign for the rights of disabled people, chipping away at old prejudices.
▷ whittle away /ˌwɪtl əˈweɪ/ [intransitive/transitive phrasal verb]
to reduce something by small amounts over a period of time, so that the final effect is very serious :
whittle away at
▪ Congress is whittling away at our civil liberties.
whittle away something
▪ Inflation has been whittling away the value of state pensions for the last fifteen years.
whittle something away
▪ Lawmakers have gradually whittled the program’s funding away over the last few years.
7. a reduction in number, prices, levels etc
▷ reduction /rɪˈdʌkʃ ə n/ [countable noun]
when a price, level etc is reduced - use this when something is reduced deliberately :
▪ We offer a reduction for groups of 10 or more.
reduction in
▪ Cleaner fuel has contributed to a reduction in air pollution.
▪ a reduction in working hours
a reduction of £10/$5/5% etc
a reduction by a particular amount
▪ There were reductions of up to 50% in some stores.
a big/huge/massive reduction
▪ There has been a big reduction in the number of issues the president addresses in any given week.
price reduction
▪ Several holiday firms are offering huge price reductions on winter holidays.
▷ decrease /ˈdiːkriːs/ [countable noun]
when something happens less than it used to :
decrease in
▪ There has been a 15% decrease in violent crime it has gone down by 15% .
a significant/marked decrease
▪ In the last five years there has been a significant decrease in the number of deaths from heart disease.
▷ drop/fall /drɒpǁdrɑːp, fɔːl/ [singular noun]
when a number or amount goes down suddenly or by a large amount :
drop/fall in
▪ Charities have reported a 25% fall in donations during the past year.
a sudden fall/drop
▪ Universities are reporting a sudden drop in the number of students studying science subjects.
a sharp fall/drop
▪ This year we have seen a sharp fall in profits.
▷ cut /kʌt/ [countable noun]
a reduction in the amount or size of something made by a government or large organization - use this especially for talking about politics or business :
cut in
▪ Cuts in the education budget have led to fewer teachers and larger classes.
a big/drastic cut
▪ There are to be big cuts in the health budget next year.
pay/job/tax cuts
cuts in wages, number of jobs, or taxes
▪ Nurses are protesting about further pay cuts.
▪ The new management has promised that there will be no job cuts.