diminish (redirected from the law of diminishing returns)

di·min·ish  (d-mnsh)

v. di·min·ished, di·min·ish·ing, di·min·ish·es

v.tr.

1.

a. To make smaller or less or to cause to appear so.

b. To detract from the authority, reputation, or prestige of.

2. To cause to taper.

3. Music To reduce (a perfect or minor interval) by a semitone.

v.intr.

1. To become smaller or less. See Synonyms at decrease.

2. To taper.

---

[Middle English diminishen, blend of diminuen, to lessen (from Old French diminuer, from Latin dminuere, variant of dminuere : d-, de- + minuere, to lessen) and minishen, to reduce (from Old French minuiser, from Vulgar Latin *mintire, from Latin mintia, smallness, from mintus, small, from past participle of minuere); see mei-² in Indo-European roots.]

---

di·minish·a·ble adj.

di·minish·ment n.

---

diminish [dɪˈmɪnɪʃ]

vb

1. to make or become smaller, fewer, or less

2. (Fine Arts & Visual Arts / Architecture) (tr) Architect to cause (a column, etc.) to taper

3. (Music, other) (tr) Music to decrease (a minor or perfect interval) by a semitone

4. to belittle or be belittled; reduce in authority, status, etc.; depreciate

[blend of diminuen to lessen (from Latin dēminuere to make smaller, from minuere to reduce) + archaic minish to lessen]

diminishable  adj

diminishingly  adv

diminishment  n

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	diminish - 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" decrease, 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"
	2.	diminish - lessen the authority, dignity, or reputation of; "don't belittle your colleagues" belittle minify, decrease, lessen - make smaller; "He decreased his staff"

---

diminish

verb

1. decrease, decline, lessen, contract, weaken, shrink, dwindle, wane, recede, subside, ebb, taper, die out, fade away, abate, peter out The threat of war has diminished.
decrease increase, grow, expand, heighten, enlarge

2. reduce, cut, decrease, lessen, contract, lower, weaken, curtail, abate, retrench, disempower Federalism is intended to diminish the power of the central state.
reduce increase, expand, enhance, amplify, augment, heighten, enlarge

3. belittle, scorn, devalue, undervalue, deride, demean, denigrate, scoff at, disparage, decry, sneer at, underrate, deprecate, depreciate, cheapen, derogate He never diminished her in front of other people.

Translations

diminish [dɪˈmɪnɪʃ]

A. VT (gen) → disminuir; [+ numbers, speed, strength] → disminuir, reducir

B. VI (gen) → disminuir

---

diminish [dɪˈmɪnɪʃ]

vt (= lessen) → atténuer

vi (= grow less) → diminuer
diminished responsibility n (LAW) → responsabilité f atténuée
diminishing returns npl → rendements mpl décroissants

---

diminish

vt

(= reduce) → verringern; price, authority → herabsetzen; value, strength → (ver)mindern, verringern; number → verkleinern; enthusiasm → dämpfen; reputation → schmälern; power → einschränken

(Mus) → (um einen Halbton) vermindern; diminished → vermindert

vi (= be reduced) → sich verringern; (speed, authority, strength) → abnehmen, sich vermindern; (price) → fallen, sinken; (value) → sich vermindern, sich verringern; (number) → sich verkleinern; (enthusiasm) → nachlassen; (reputation) → schlechter werden; law of diminishing returns (Econ) → Gesetz nt → von der fallenden Profitrate; to diminish in size → kleiner werden; to diminish in value → im Wert sinken, an Wert verlieren

---

diminish [dɪˈmɪnɪʃ]

1. vt (effect, enthusiasm, authority, speed) → diminuire, ridurre; (value, person) → sminuire

2. vi → diminuire, ridursi; (value) → scendere

---

diminish [dɪˈmɪnɪʃ]

1. vt (effect, enthusiasm, authority, speed) → diminuire, ridurre; (value, person) → sminuire

2. vi → diminuire, ridursi; (value) → scendere

---

diminish

v diminish [diˈminiʃ]

to make or become less Our supplies are diminishing rapidly. verminder يَقِلُّ омаловажавам zmenšit se, zkrátit se formindske vermindern μειώνω, μειώνομαι disminuir kahandama, kahanema کم شدن؛ کاستن vähentyä diminuer לִקטוֹן, לְהָקטִין घटाना splasnuti, oslabiti csökken(t) mengurangi minnka, rÿra diminuire 減少させる 감소하다 mažėti, mažinti samazināt; samazināties menyusut (doen) slinken (for)minske, redusere, skjære ned på zmniejszać, maleć a (se) diminua, a (se) împuţina уменьшать(ся) zmenšiť sa zmanjšati (se) smanjiti []minska, avta ทำให้น้อยลง azal(t)mak 減少 зменшувати(ся); убувати گھٹنا یا گھٹانا hạ bớt, giảm bớt 减少

adj diˈminished

(negativeundiminished). verminder, inkrimp مُقَلَّل омаловажен zmenšený formindsket vermindert μειωμένος reducido vähendatud کاسته شده vähentynyt diminué מוּפחָת घटा हुआ umanjen, oslabljen csökkentett berkurang minnkaður diminuito 減少した 감소된, 반음 줄인 sumažintas samazināts menyusut verminderd (for)minsket, redusert zmniejszony diminuído diminuat уменьшенный zmenšený zmanjšan smanjen []minskad ซึ่งทำให้น้อยลง kısaltılmış 減少的 зменшений; принижений تخفیف شدہ bị giảm đi 减少的

---

diminish → يُقَلِل zmenšit (se) formindske verringern μικραίνω disminuir vähentyä diminuer smanjiti diminuire 減らす 줄이다 verminderen svekke zmniejszyć diminuir уменьшать minska ทำให้ลดลง azalmak giảm bớt 减少