| Title | decrease | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Text |
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary de·crease
(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 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
DATE 14th century 1. the process of decreasing 2. an amount of diminution : reduction English Etymology decrease late 14c., from O.Fr . pp. stem of descreistre, from L.decrescere, from de- "away from" + crescere "to grow" (see crescent).http://O.Fr Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7 ☞ decrease de·crease verb / di5kri:s / ~ (from sth) (to sth) to become or make sth become smaller in size, number, etc. (使大小、数量等)减少,减小,降低: ▪ [V] The number of new students decreased from 210 to 160 this year. 今年新生人数从 210 减少到 160。 The price of wheat has decreased by 15%. 小麦价格降低了 15%。 This species of bird is decreasing in numbers every year. 这种鸟的数量在逐年减少。 a decreasing population 逐渐减少的人口 ▪ [VN] People should decrease the amount of fat they eat. 人们应减少脂肪的摄入量。 OPP increase noun/ 5di:kri:s / [C, U] ~ (in sth) | ~ (of sth) the process of reducing sth or the amount that sth is reduced by 减少；降低；减少量 SYN reduction :
There has been some decrease in military spending this year. 今年的军费开支有所减少。 a decrease of nearly 6% in the number of visitors to the museum 参观博物馆人数下降将近 6% OPP increase Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of English decrease verb ADV. considerably, dramatically, drastically, markedly, significantly | slightly Spending has decreased slightly this year. | rapidly | steadily | gradually PREP. by Crime has decreased by 20 per cent. | from, to Average family size has decreased from five to three children. | with The number of quarrels among children decreases with age. PHRASES decrease in number/size/value The heart gradually decreases in size. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Thesaurus-11th Edition n. Function: verb to grow less especially gradually FF1C;his influence decreased as a new generation grew upFF1E; Synonyms: abate, bate, close, diminish, drain (away), dwindle, lessen, peak (out), peter (out), rebate, recede, reduce, taper, taper off Related Words: abbreviate, abridge, clip, curtail, retrench, shorten, trim; contract, shrink; allay, alleviate, ease, lighten, mitigate; ebb, subside; cut, cut back, cut down, lower; deduct, subtract Contrasted Words: augment, enlarge, multiply; elongate, extend, lengthen, prolong, protract; amplify, dilate, distend, expand, swell; accumulate, amass Antonyms: increase Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged de·crease I. \(ˈ)dē|krēs also də̇ˈ-\ verb (-ed/-ing/-s) Etymology: Middle English decreessen from (assumed) Anglo-French decreistre (3d person plural present indicative decreissent), from Latin decrescere, from de from, down, away + crescere to grow, increase — more at de- , crescent intransitive verb : to grow less especially gradually : become diminished (as in size, amount, or strength) : lessen , dwindle < his stock decreased as the war went on > < his influence slowly decreased > transitive verb 1. : to cause to grow less especially gradually : diminish < this medicine will decrease his pain > < it is necessary to decrease the amount of coal used > 2. : to remove (a stitch) by knitting two stitches together or by passing a slipped stitch over a knitted stitch Synonyms: lessen , diminish , reduce , abate , dwindle : decrease , frequently interchangeable with others in this set, may apply to any process of growing less < the population of the area is decreasing > < a steadily decreasing income > < a rather even crest line, which decreases in elevation eastward — C.B.Hitchcock > < a decreasing chance for victory > < decreasing intensity > < belief in the evolution of man's body has decreased among paleontologists — R.W.Murray > lessen , meaning simply to become less, is a close synonym for decrease except that it is usually not used with stated numbers < the valley widens, hills lessen in height — American Guide Series: Texas > < lessen the pain of separation by a very frequent and most unreserved correspondence — Jane Austen > < I hoped to obtain your forgiveness, to lessen your ill-opinion — Jane Austen > < they find that in these quarters the Church is suspected of being an ally of ‘capitalism,’ and that their influence is lessened in consequence — W.R.Inge > < the fever is lessened > but < the fever decreased from 101° to 99° > diminish may add to the meaning of decrease the notion of loss, of subtraction, sometimes unfortunate < with the retreat of the forest, the amount of variety of wild game inevitably diminished — American Guide Series: Minnesota > < with the advent of the railroad, trade diminished and the town gradually declined — American Guide Series: Louisiana > < he has shown that he is reluctant to use his prestige to such ends, and his continued refusal to use it diminishes his power to do so — R.H.Rovere > reduce may heighten suggestion of the role of an agent or agency effecting a change; it may also implicate a lowering of status or significance < devices adopted by the government to reduce unemployment — Collier's Year Book > < medical science has reduced the incidence of many communicable diseases virtually to zero — Gertrude Samuels > < the yeoman, it has been said, was being steadily reduced to a peasant — G.E.Fussell > abate may be used to indicate the decrease in intensity, amount, force, or significance of something immoderate or excessive < misfortune had abated the grandiosity of the Roman temper, and there was a widespread reaction towards simplicity — John Buchan > < the long tradition of mutual injury and revenge … had left animosities that took long to abate — G.M.Trevelyan > < physically weakened by a stomach disorder that will not abate— Hollis Alpert > dwindle may apply to progressive lessening or weakening towards insignificance < the last rays of daylight dwindled and disappeared — R.L. Stevenson > < the Zarafshan had already dwindled to an insignificant creek — Douglas Carruthers > < the great buffalo herds, once estimated at 60,000,000 head in Texas, have dwindled to a few animals — American Guide Series: Texas > < the place dwindled in importance and at present is a small trading village — American Guide Series: Oregon > II. \ˈdēˌkrēs also dēˈ- or də̇ˈ-\ noun (-s) Etymology: Middle English decrees, from (assumed) Anglo-French decreis, from (assumed) Anglo-French decreistre, v. 1. : the process of becoming less or the condition resulting from such a process : gradual diminution < we shall be conscious of a certain decrease in scientific dogmatism — Irving Babbitt > 2. : the amount by which something decreases : decline < the decrease in exports for the year was 15 percent > 3. knitting a. : the act of decreasing b. : the place where decreasing is done |
Learn with these flashcards. Click next, previous, or up to navigate to more flashcards for this subject.
Next card: Verb to decompose break constituent parts chemical synonyms
Previous card: Deduce to from verb lead dictionary synonyms english
Up to card list: English learning