View synonyms for decrease

decrease

[ verb dih-krees; noun dee-krees, dih-krees ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

verb (used without object)

, de·creased, de·creas·ing.

to diminish or lessen in extent, quantity, strength, power, etc.:
During the ten-day march across the desert their supply of water decreased rapidly.
Synonyms: abate, contract, decline, lessen, wane
Antonyms: expand, increase

verb (used with object)

, de·creased, de·creas·ing.

to make less; cause to diminish:
to decrease one's work load.

noun

the act or process of decreasing; condition of being decreased; gradual reduction:
a decrease in sales;
a decrease in intensity.
Synonyms: subsidence, decline, abatement
the amount by which a thing is lessened:
The decrease in sales was almost 20 percent.

decrease

verb

to diminish or cause to diminish in size, number, strength, etc

noun

the act or process of diminishing; reduction
the amount by which something has been diminished

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Derived Forms

deˈcreasingly, adverb
deˈcreasing, adjective

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Other Words From

unde·creased adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of decrease¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English verb decresen, from Old French decreiss-, long stem of decreistre, from Latin dēcrēscere “to diminish,” literally “to grow down,” equivalent to dē- de- + crēscere “to grow”); noun derivative of the verb; crescent

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Word History and Origins

Origin of decrease¹

C14: from Old French descreistre, from Latin dēcrescere to grow less, from de- + crescere to grow

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Synonym Study

Decrease, diminish, dwindle, shrink imply becoming smaller or less in amount. Decrease commonly implies a sustained reduction in stages, especially of bulk, size, volume, or quantity, often from some imperceptible cause or inherent process: The swelling decreased daily. Diminish usually implies the action of some external cause that keeps taking away: Disease caused the number of troops to diminish steadily. Dwindle implies an undesirable reduction by degrees, resulting in attenuation: His followers dwindled to a mere handful. Shrink especially implies contraction through an inherent property under specific conditions: Many fabrics shrink in hot water.

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Example Sentences

That’s actually a decrease from 2014, when 8 million taxpayers made a payment.

From Washington Post

Luckily, however, that meant a steep decrease in the average production costs, according to Fitzgibbons.

From Digiday

After three days, all five showed a measurable decrease in systolic blood pressure, a drop in heart rate, and an increase in creativity and feelings of well-being.

From Outside Online

The decline is likely partially the result of an overall decrease in streaming after Covid-19 hit the US, due to the absence of people listening to music on commutes and in stores.

From Quartz

For example, pages with more than 500,000 likes on Facebook have seen a dramatic decrease in reach, possibly to encourage companies to increase their ad spend.

From Search Engine Watch

Police Superintendent Michael Harrison said the decline was a result of an effort to decrease gang violence.

From The Daily Beast

That indicated a relatively rapid increase in methane, followed by an equally fast decrease.

From The Daily Beast

Neighboring Guinea and Liberia, said WHO, were presenting evidence of a decrease in cases.

From The Daily Beast

In his mind, this is only as problematic as the decrease in international support that it may cause.

From The Daily Beast

“The sense down there is we have to understand what [this decrease] is,” WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic tells The Daily Beast.

From The Daily Beast

In mild cases a slight decrease of hemoglobin is the only blood change noted.

From Project Gutenberg

It is evident that an absolute increase of any variety may be accompanied by a relative decrease.

From Project Gutenberg

The infectious diseases in which leukocytosis is absent (p. 160) often cause a slight decrease of leukocytes.

From Project Gutenberg

The decrease affects chiefly the polymorphonuclear cells, so that the lymphocytes are relatively increased.

From Project Gutenberg

There is decided decrease of hemoglobin and red corpuscles, with moderate leukopenia and relative lymphocytosis.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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More About Decrease

What does decrease mean?

To decrease is to lessen or become reduced in number, amount, size, or in some other way, as in Our profits will continue to decrease unless we cut costs.

As a verb, decrease is also used in an active way in which someone or something is doing the decreasing, as in I’m going to decrease my hours at work or These sunglasses decrease glare. The word reduce is perhaps even more commonly used to mean the same thing.

Decrease can also be used as a noun referring to a reduction, as in We are experiencing a decrease in applicants.

It can also refer to the amount by which something has decreased, as in The decrease was $5,000 per year.

The words decreased and decreasing can both be used as adjectives, as in a decreased appetite or decreasing sales.

The opposite of decrease as both a verb and a noun is increase.

Example: Sally decided to decrease her workload, which led to a decrease in stress.

Where does decrease come from?

The first records of the word decrease come from the 1300s. It comes from the Latin verb dēcrēscere, from de-, which indicates negation, descent, or reversal, and the Latin verb crēscere, meaning “to grow.”

Something that is decreasing is doing the opposite of growing—it’s becoming smaller in size, quantity, extent, or in some other way. As a noun, decrease indicates the opposite of growth.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to decrease?

decreased (past tense verb, adjective)
decreasing (continuous tense verb, adjective)

What are some synonyms for decrease?

What are some words that share a root or word element with decrease?

increase

What are some words that often get used in discussing decrease?

How is decrease used in real life?

Decrease is an extremely common word that can be used in all kinds of contexts.

Showers have become confined mostly to the mountains and near the coast this evening. Showers will continue to decrease tonight with a mainly dry day on Wednesday. #wawx pic.twitter.com/4xh4FJXaFC

— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) February 17, 2021

Air pollution costs more than 100,000 American lives every year, with air quality at its worst during the summer. As we prioritize sustainable solutions and work to decrease our carbon footprint, here are some ways to reduce your exposure to dirty air. -L https://t.co/MVjPgRhGRy

— Lloyd H. Dean (@LloydHDean) August 14, 2019

As long as it doesn't lead to a decrease in salary, this might be a good idea. https://t.co/vy3soW3aK3

— Trent M Kays, PhD 🏳️‍🌈 (@trentmkays) February 9, 2021

Try using decrease!

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of decrease?

A. lessen
B. dwindle
C. enlarge
D. decline

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