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intr. & tr.v. de·creased, de·creas·ing, de·creas·es To become or cause to become less or smaller, as in number, amount, or intensity. n. (dēkrēs′) 1. The act or process of decreasing. 2. The amount by which something decreases. [Middle English decresen, from Old French decreistre, decreiss-, from Latin dēcrēscere : dē-, de- + crēscere, to grow; see ker-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] de·creasing·ly adv. Synonyms: decrease, lessen, reduce, dwindle, abate, diminish, subside These verbs mean to become smaller or less or to cause something to become smaller or less. Decrease and lessen have the most general application: saw the plane descend as its speed decreased; vowed to decrease government spending; an appetite that lessened as the disease progressed; restrictions aimed at lessening the environmental impact of off-road vehicles. Reduce often emphasizes bringing down in size, degree, or intensity: reduced the heat once the mixture reached a boil; workers who refused to reduce their wage demands. Dwindle suggests decreasing bit by bit to a vanishing point: savings that dwindled away in retirement. Abate stresses a decrease in amount or intensity and suggests a reduction of excess: a blustery wind that abated toward evening; increased the dosage in an effort to abate the pain. Diminish stresses the idea of loss or depletion: a breeze that arose as daylight diminished; a scandal that diminished the administration's authority. Subside implies a falling away to a more normal level or state: floodwaters that did not subside until days after the storm passed; anger that subsided with understanding. |
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