See Also: Diminish(medicine)
diminish(dictionary)
diminish(dictionary)

diminish (iou)



diminish verb. LME.
[Blend of DIMINUE and MINISH.]
I. verb trans.
Make smaller or less (in fact or in appearance). LME.
L. Durrell Nor were our follies diminished by these warnings.
Lessen the power, reputation, or self-esteem of (a person); belittle, depreciate. LME.
Milton Impiously they thought Thee to diminish.
Subtract, remove, (from). E16-E17.
Deprive in part of. Usu. in pass. M16-M18.
Architecture. Make (a column etc.) taper. M16.
II. verb intrans.
Become less or smaller; decrease. E16.
G. Greene They climbed up..and the sound of the others diminished below them.
Foll. by from: make less; detract from. M17-E19.
Phrases: diminishing glass an instrument through which an object appears smaller than when viewed by the naked eye. diminishing mirror a convex mirror giving a smaller image. law of diminishing returns Economics the principle that as expenditure etc. increases each further increase produces a proportionately smaller return.
diminishable adjective able to be diminished (earlier in UNDIMINISHABLE) L18.
diminishableness noun the property of being diminishable L19.
diminisher noun (rare) a person who or thing which diminishes E17.
diminishingly adverb (a) disparagingly; (b) decreasingly: L17.
diminishment noun (a) diminution, (a) lessening M16.