'Decrease' definitions:
Definition of 'decrease'
From: WordNet
noun
A change downward; "there was a decrease in his temperature as the fever subsided"; "there was a sharp drop-off in sales" [syn: decrease, lessening, drop-off] [ant: increase]
noun
A process of becoming smaller or shorter [syn: decrease, decrement] [ant: growth, increase, increment]
noun
noun
The act of decreasing or reducing something [syn: decrease, diminution, reduction, step-down] [ant: increase, step-up]
verb
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" [syn: decrease, diminish, lessen, fall] [ant: increase]
verb
Definition of 'Decrease'
From: GCIDE
- Decrease \De*crease"\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Decreased; p. pr. & vb. n. Decreasing.] [OE. decrecen, fr. OF. decreistre, F. d['e]cro[^i]tre, or from the OF. noun (see Decrease, n.), fr. L. decrescere to grow less; de + crescere to grow. See Crescent, and cf. Increase.] To grow less, -- opposed to increase; to be diminished gradually, in size, degree, number, duration, etc., or in strength, quality, or excellence; as, they days decrease in length from June to December. [1913 Webster]
- He must increase, but I must decrease. --John iii. 30.
- Syn: To Decrease, Diminish.
- Usage: Things usually decrease or fall off by degrees, and from within, or through some cause which is imperceptible; as, the flood decreases; the cold decreases; their affection has decreased. Things commonly diminish by an influence from without, or one which is apparent; as, the army was diminished by disease; his property is diminishing through extravagance; their affection has diminished since their separation their separation. The turn of thought, however, is often such that these words may be interchanged. [1913 Webster]
- The olive leaf, which certainly them told The flood decreased. --Drayton. [1913 Webster]
- Crete's ample fields diminish to our eye; Before the Boreal blasts the vessels fly. --Pope. [1913 Webster]
Definition of 'Decrease'
From: GCIDE
- Decrease \De*crease"\, v. t. To cause to grow less; to diminish gradually; as, extravagance decreases one's means. [1913 Webster]
- That might decrease their present store. --Prior. [1913 Webster]
Definition of 'Decrease'
From: GCIDE
- Decrease \De*crease"\, n. [OE. decrees, OF. decreis, fr. decreistre. See Decrease, v.]
- 1. A becoming less; gradual diminution; decay; as, a decrease of revenue or of strength. [1913 Webster]
- 2. The wane of the moon. --Bacon. [1913 Webster]
Synonyms of 'decrease'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- abate,
- abatement,
- abbreviate,
- abbreviation,
- ablate,
- ablation,
- abrade,
- abridge,
- abstract,
- allay,
- alleviate,
- apportion,
- astriction,
- astringency,
- attrition,
- bate,
- be eaten away,
- bottleneck,
- calibrate,
- calibrated,
- cervix,
- circumscribe,
- circumscription,
- clip,
- close,
- coarct,
- coarctation,
- compact,
- compactedness,
- compaction,
- compress,
- compression,
- compressure,
- concentrate,
- concentration,
- condensation,
- condense,
- consolidate,
- consolidation,
- constrict,
- constriction,
- constringe,
- constringency,
- consume,
- consume away,
- consumption,
- contract,
- contraction,
- contracture,
- corrode,
- count,
- cramp,
- crumble,
- curtail,
- curtailment,
- cut,
- cut back,
- cut down,
- cutting,
- damp,
- dampen,
- de-escalate,
- de-escalation,
- decline,
- decrement,
- deduct,
- deflate,
- deliquesce,
- deplete,
- depletion,
- depreciate,
- depreciation,
- depress,
- derogate,
- derogation,
- detract,
- detraction,
- die away,
- differentiate,
- diminish,
- diminuendo,
- diminution,
- dip,
- disparage,
- disparagement,
- dissipate,
- dissipation,
- dive,
- divide,
- downgrade,
- drain,
- draw,
- draw in,
- draw together,
- dribble away,
- drop,
- drop off,
- dwindle,
- dwindling,
- ease,
- ease off,
- ease up,
- eat away,
- ebb,
- erode,
- erosion,
- evaporation,
- exhaustion,
- expenditure,
- extract,
- extraction,
- fall,
- fall away,
- fall off,
- falling off,
- file away,
- fix,
- gradational,
- grade,
- gradual,
- graduate,
- graduated,
- hierarchic,
- hourglass,
- hourglass figure,
- impair,
- impairment,
- impoverishment,
- increase,
- isthmus,
- knit,
- knitting,
- languish,
- leach,
- leakage,
- lessen,
- lessening,
- let up,
- lighten,
- lower,
- lowering,
- measure,
- melt away,
- mitigate,
- narrow,
- narrow place,
- narrowing,
- neck,
- number,
- parcel,
- pare,
- peter out,
- plummet,
- plunge,
- progressive,
- pucker,
- pucker up,
- puckering,
- purify,
- purse,
- pursing,
- quantify,
- quantize,
- rate,
- rebate,
- recede,
- reduce,
- reduction,
- refine,
- regular,
- remission,
- remove,
- retraction,
- retrench,
- retrenchment,
- roll back,
- rub away,
- run low,
- sag,
- scalar,
- scale down,
- shade off,
- shorten,
- shortening,
- shrink,
- shrinkage,
- shrinking,
- shrivel up,
- simplify,
- sink,
- slacken,
- slackening,
- solidification,
- solidify,
- squander,
- step down,
- strangle,
- stranglement,
- strangulate,
- strangulation,
- striction,
- stricture,
- subduct,
- subside,
- subsidence,
- subtract,
- systole,
- tail off,
- take away,
- take from,
- taper,
- taper off,
- thin,
- thin out,
- trim,
- truncation,
- tune down,
- using,
- using up,
- wane,
- wasp waist,
- wastage,
- waste,
- waste away,
- wear,
- wear away,
- wearing,
- wearing away,
- weed,
- withdraw,
- wrinkle,
- wrinkling