n.
Pronunciation: di- ' kr ē s, ' d ē - ˌ
Function: verb
Inflected Form: 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- ' kr ē -si ŋ -l ē , d ē - \ 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>.