decrease

de·crease (d

-kr

)

intr. & tr.v. de·creased, de·creas·ing, de·creas·es

To grow or cause to grow gradually less or smaller, as in number, amount, or intensity.

n. (d

)

1. The act or process of decreasing.

2. The amount by which something decreases.

[Middle English decresen, from Old French decreistre, decreiss-, from Latin dcrscere : d-, de- + crscere, to grow; see ker-² in Indo-European roots.]

de·creasing·ly adv.

Synonyms: decrease, lessen, reduce, dwindle, abate, diminish, subside
These verbs mean to become or cause to become smaller or less. Decrease and lessen refer to steady or gradual diminution: Lack of success decreases confidence. His appetite lessens as his illness progresses.
Reduce emphasizes bringing down in size, degree, or intensity: The workers reduced their wage demands.
Dwindle suggests decreasing bit by bit to a vanishing point: Their savings dwindled away.
Abate stresses a decrease in amount or intensity and suggests a reduction of excess: Toward evening the fire began to abate.
Diminish implies taking away or removal: The warden's authority diminished after the revolt.
Subside implies a falling away to a more normal level: The wild enthusiasm aroused by the team's victory did not subside for days.

decrease

Verb

[-creasing, -creased]

to make or become less in size, strength, or quantity

Noun

1. a lessening; reduction

2. the amount by which something has been diminished [Latin decrescere to grow less]

decreasing adj
decreasingly adv

ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Noun	1.	decrease - a change downward; "there was a decrease in his temperature as the fever subsided"; "there was a sharp drop-off in sales" lessening, drop-off alteration, change, modification - an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another; "the change was intended to increase sales"; "this storm is certainly a change for the worse"; "the neighborhood had undergone few modifications since his last visit years ago" shrinkage, shrinking - process or result of becoming less or smaller; "the material lost 2 inches per yard in shrinkage" casualty - a decrease of military personnel or equipment sinking - a slow fall or decline (as for lack of strength); "after several hours of sinking an unexpected rally rescued the market"; "he could not control the sinking of his legs" attrition - a wearing down to weaken or destroy; "a war of attrition" dwindling, dwindling away - a becoming gradually less; "there is no greater sadness that the dwindling away of a family" waning - a gradual decrease in magnitude or extent; "the waning of his enthusiasm was obvious"; "the waxing and waning of the moon" increase - a change resulting in an increase; "the increase is scheduled for next month"
	2.	decrease - a process of becoming smaller or shorter decrement physical process, process - a sustained phenomenon or one marked by gradual changes through a series of states; "events now in process"; "the process of calcification begins later for boys than for girls" decay, decline - a gradual decrease; as of stored charge or current decline, diminution - change toward something smaller or lower desensitisation, desensitization - the process of reducing sensitivity; "the patient was desensitized to the allergen" narrowing - a decrease in width slippage - a decrease of transmitted power in a mechanical system caused by slipping wastage - the process of wasting increment, growth, increase - a process of becoming larger or longer or more numerous or more important; "the increase in unemployment"; "the growth of population"
	3.	decrease - the amount by which something decreases decrement amount - the relative magnitude of something with reference to a criterion; "an adequate amount of food for four people" free fall, drop, dip, fall - a sudden sharp decrease in some quantity; "a drop of 57 points on the Dow Jones index"; "there was a drop in pressure in the pulmonary artery"; "a dip in prices"; "when that became known the price of their stock went into free fall" shrinkage - the amount by which something shrinks increment, increase - the amount by which something increases; "they proposed an increase of 15 percent in the fare"
	4.	decrease - the act of decreasing or reducing something reduction, step-down, diminution change of magnitude - the act of changing the amount or size of something cut - the act of reducing the amount or number; "the mayor proposed extensive cuts in the city budget" mitigation, moderation - the action of lessening in severity or intensity; "the object being control or moderation of economic depressions" lowering - the act of causing to become less cutback - a reduction in quantity or rate devaluation - the reduction of something's value or worth devitalisation, devitalization - the act of reducing the vitality of something mitigation, palliation, extenuation - to act in such a way as to cause an offense to seem less serious alleviation, easement, easing, relief - the act of reducing something unpleasant (as pain or annoyance); "he asked the nurse for relief from the constant pain" de-escalation - (war) a reduction in intensity (of a crisis or a war) minimisation, minimization - the act of reducing something to the least possible amount or degree or position depletion - the act of decreasing something markedly shortening - act of decreasing in length; "the dress needs shortening" shrinking - the act of becoming less subtraction, deduction - the act of subtracting (removing a part from the whole); "he complained about the subtraction of money from their paychecks" deflation - the act of letting the air out of something discount, price reduction, deduction - the act of reducing the selling price of merchandise rollback - reducing prices back to some earlier level weakening - the act of reducing the strength of something depreciation - a decrease in price or value; "depreciation of the dollar against the yen" contraction - the act of decreasing (something) in size or volume or quantity or scope reverse split, reverse stock split, split down - a decrease in the number of outstanding shares of a corporation without changing the shareholders' equity amortisation, amortization - the reduction of the value of an asset by prorating its cost over a period of years declassification - reduction or removal by the government of restrictions on a classified document or weapon tax shelter, shelter - a way of organizing business to reduce the taxes it must pay on current earnings tax credit - a direct reduction in tax liability (not dependent on the taxpayer's tax bracket) step-up, increase - the act of increasing something; "he gave me an increase in salary"
Verb	1.	decrease - decrease in size, extent, or range; "The amount of homework decreased towards the end of the semester"; "The cabin pressure fell dramatically"; "her weight fell to under a hundred pounds"; "his voice fell to a whisper" diminish, lessen, fall break - diminish or discontinue abruptly; "The patient's fever broke last night" shrivel, shrink - decrease in size, range, or extent; "His earnings shrank"; "My courage shrivelled when I saw the task before me" taper - diminish gradually; "Interested tapered off" drop off - fall or diminish; "The number of students in this course dropped off after the first test" vaporize, vanish, fly - decrease rapidly and disappear; "the money vanished in las Vegas"; "all my stock assets have vaporized" break - fall sharply; "stock prices broke" ease off, slacken off, ease up, flag - become less intense change magnitude - change in size or magnitude weaken - become weaker; "The prisoner's resistance weakened after seven days" boil down, decoct, concentrate, reduce - be cooked until very little liquid is left; "The sauce should reduce to one cup" shrink, contract - become smaller or draw together; "The fabric shrank"; "The balloon shrank" shrink, shrivel, shrivel up, wither - wither, as with a loss of moisture; "The fruit dried and shriveled" die away, let up, slack off, abate, slack - become less in amount or intensity; "The storm abated"; "The rain let up after a few hours" deflate - become deflated or flaccid, as by losing air; "The balloons deflated" dwindle, dwindle away, dwindle down - become smaller or lose substance; "Her savings dwindled down" remit - diminish or abate; "The pain finally remitted" de-escalate - diminish in size, scope, or intensity; "The war of words between them de-escalated with time" devaluate, devalue, undervalue, depreciate - lose in value; "The dollar depreciated again" shorten - become short or shorter; "In winter, the days shorten" thin out - become sparser; "Towards the end of town, the houses thinned out" wane, go down, decline - grow smaller; "Interest in the project waned" wane - decrease in phase; "the moon is waning" wane - become smaller; "Interest in his novels waned" decelerate, slow, slow down, slow up, retard - lose velocity; move more slowly; "The car decelerated" decrescendo - grow quieter; "The music decrescendoes here" increase - become bigger or greater in amount; "The amount of work increased"
	2.	decrease - make smaller; "He decreased his staff" minify, lessen alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue" suppress - reduce the incidence or severity of or stop; "suppress a yawn"; "this drug can suppress the hemorrhage" mitigate - make less severe or harsh; "mitigating circumstances" pare, pare down - decrease gradually or bit by bit circumscribe, confine, limit - restrict or confine, "I limit you to two visits to the pub a day" boil down, concentrate, reduce - cook until very little liquid is left; "The cook reduced the sauce by boiling it for a long time" shrink, reduce - reduce in size; reduce physically; "Hot water will shrink the sweater"; "Can you shrink this image?" abbreviate, abridge, foreshorten, shorten, contract, reduce, cut - reduce in scope while retaining essential elements; "The manuscript must be shortened" abate, slake, slack - make less active or intense lour, lower, turn down - make lower or quieter; "turn down the volume of a radio" de-escalate, step down, weaken - reduce the level or intensity or size or scope of; "de-escalate a crisis" minimize, minimise - make small or insignificant; "Let's minimize the risk" cut down, reduce, trim back, trim down, cut, cut back, trim, bring down - cut down on; make a reduction in; "reduce your daily fat intake"; "The employer wants to cut back health benefits" cut - have a reducing effect; "This cuts into my earnings" slack up, slacken, slack, relax - make less active or fast; "He slackened his pace as he got tired"; "Don't relax your efforts now" diminish, belittle - lessen the authority, dignity, or reputation of; "don't belittle your colleagues" increase - make bigger or more; "The boss finally increased her salary"; "The university increased the number of students it admitted"