de·crease
(dĭ-krēś)
[Middle English decresen, from Old French decreistre, decreiss-, from Latin dēcrēscere, dē-, de-, + crēscere, to grow.]
intr. & tr.v.: -creased, -creas·ing, -creas·es.
- To grow or cause to grow gradually less or smaller, as in number, amount, or intensity.
noun
- The act or process of decreasing.
- The amount by which something decreases.
derivatives
- de·creaśing·ly
- adverb
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.
