diminish
verb
di·min·ish
də-ˈmi-nish 
diminished; diminishing; diminishes
1
: to make less or cause to appear less
diminish an army's strength
His role in the company was diminished.
2
: to lessen the authority, dignity, or reputation of : belittle
diminish a rival's accomplishments
3
architecture
: to cause to taper (see taper entry 1 sense 1)
a diminished column
1
: to become gradually less (as in size or importance) : dwindle
the side effects tend to diminish over time
2
architecture
: taper
Examples of diminish in a Sentence
The strength of the army was greatly diminished by outbreaks of disease.
The drug's side effects should diminish over time.
Nothing could diminish the importance of his contributions.
Recent Examples on the Web
Meanwhile, a more constrained and domestically focused healthcare agenda is likely to diminish trust in federal health agencies, limit access to culturally competent care and produce a loss of global leadership in health innovation.
—
Robert Pearl, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Whereas a decline in home values diminishes the equity investors might hold in their properties, which limits their ability to leverage assets for additional investments or refinancing opportunities.
—William Jones, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2025
At the same time, because of diminishing supplies, aid groups were only able to provide nutritional supplements to some 22,000 children in March, down 70% from February.
—Arkansas Online, 26 Apr. 2025
Over the years, the moose's trip across the river has been affected by the development of roads and hydroelectric power facilities, which created dams that diminish the ice.
—Ayana Archie, NPR, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for diminish
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Robert Pearl, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Whereas a decline in home values diminishes the equity investors might hold in their properties, which limits their ability to leverage assets for additional investments or refinancing opportunities.
—William Jones, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2025
At the same time, because of diminishing supplies, aid groups were only able to provide nutritional supplements to some 22,000 children in March, down 70% from February.
—Arkansas Online, 26 Apr. 2025
Over the years, the moose's trip across the river has been affected by the development of roads and hydroelectric power facilities, which created dams that diminish the ice.
—Ayana Archie, NPR, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for diminish
Cite this Entry
“Diminish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diminish. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
diminish
verb
di·min·ish
də-ˈmin-ish
1
: to make less or cause to appear less
2
: to lessen the authority, dignity, or reputation of : belittle
3
: to become gradually less (as in size or importance) : dwindle
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share