decrease

[ verb dih-krees; noun dee-krees, dih-krees ]

verb (used without object)

, de·creased, de·creas·ing.

1. to diminish or lessen in extent, quantity, strength, power, etc.:

   During the ten-day march across the desert their supply of water decreased rapidly.

   Synonyms: abate, contract, decline, lessen, wane

   Antonyms: expand, increase

verb (used with object)

, de·creased, de·creas·ing.

1. to make less; cause to diminish:

   to decrease one's work load.

noun

1. the act or process of decreasing; condition of being decreased; gradual reduction:

   a decrease in sales;

   a decrease in intensity.

   Synonyms: subsidence, decline, abatement

2. the amount by which a thing is lessened:

   The decrease in sales was almost 20 percent.

decrease

verb

1. to diminish or cause to diminish in size, number, strength, etc

noun

1. the act or process of diminishing; reduction
2. the amount by which something has been diminished

Derived Forms

• deˈcreasingly, adverb
• deˈcreasing, adjective

Other Words From

• unde·creased adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of decrease¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English verb decresen, from Old French decreiss-, long stem of decreistre, from Latin dēcrēscere “to diminish,” literally “to grow down,” equivalent to dē- de- + crēscere “to grow”); noun derivative of the verb; crescent

Word History and Origins

Origin of decrease¹

C14: from Old French descreistre, from Latin dēcrescere to grow less, from de- + crescere to grow

Synonym Study

Decrease, diminish, dwindle, shrink imply becoming smaller or less in amount. Decrease commonly implies a sustained reduction in stages, especially of bulk, size, volume, or quantity, often from some imperceptible cause or inherent process: The swelling decreased daily. Diminish usually implies the action of some external cause that keeps taking away: Disease caused the number of troops to diminish steadily. Dwindle implies an undesirable reduction by degrees, resulting in attenuation: His followers dwindled to a mere handful. Shrink especially implies contraction through an inherent property under specific conditions: Many fabrics shrink in hot water.

Example Sentences

In most congressional contests the nonprofit is tracking, Democratic candidates’ leads have increased and Republican candidates’ leads have decreased as more ballots are counted.

From Los Angeles Times

“What social service programs are you going to have to decrease funding for?”

From Los Angeles Times

While there have been huge improvements over decades, we know that forecast accuracy decreases the further out you go.

From BBC

The document also recommends allowing tribes to drill for oil and natural gas on their land, and — to decrease the size of government — passing both land and some environmental responsibilities over to tribes.

From Los Angeles Times

The measure would have decreased the approval threshold for local bonds from two-thirds to 55%.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• contraction
• cutback
• decline
• discount
• downturn
• loss
• reduction
• shrinkage

More About Decrease

What does decrease mean?

To decrease is to lessen or become reduced in number, amount, size, or in some other way, as in Our profits will continue to decrease unless we cut costs.

As a verb, decrease is also used in an active way in which someone or something is doing the decreasing, as in I’m going to decrease my hours at work or These sunglasses decrease glare. The word reduce is perhaps even more commonly used to mean the same thing.

Decrease can also be used as a noun referring to a reduction, as in We are experiencing a decrease in applicants.

It can also refer to the amount by which something has decreased, as in The decrease was $5,000 per year.

The words decreased and decreasing can both be used as adjectives, as in a decreased appetite or decreasing sales.

The opposite of decrease as both a verb and a noun is increase.

Example: Sally decided to decrease her workload, which led to a decrease in stress.

Where does decrease come from?

The first records of the word decrease come from the 1300s. It comes from the Latin verb dēcrēscere, from de-, which indicates negation, descent, or reversal, and the Latin verb crēscere, meaning “to grow.”

Something that is decreasing is doing the opposite of growing—it’s becoming smaller in size, quantity, extent, or in some other way. As a noun, decrease indicates the opposite of growth.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to decrease?

• decreased (past tense verb, adjective)
• decreasing (continuous tense verb, adjective)

What are some synonyms for decrease?

• lessen
• diminish
• dwindle
• shrink
• reduce
• cut
• turn down
• reduction
• decline

What are some words that share a root or word element with decrease? 

• increase

What are some words that often get used in discussing decrease?

• number
• amount
• size
• quantity
• quality
• percent
• down
• big
• small

How is decrease used in real life?

Decrease is an extremely common word that can be used in all kinds of contexts.

Showers have become confined mostly to the mountains and near the coast this evening. Showers will continue to decrease tonight with a mainly dry day on Wednesday. #wawx pic.twitter.com/4xh4FJXaFC

— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) February 17, 2021

Air pollution costs more than 100,000 American lives every year, with air quality at its worst during the summer. As we prioritize sustainable solutions and work to decrease our carbon footprint, here are some ways to reduce your exposure to dirty air. -L https://t.co/MVjPgRhGRy

— Lloyd H. Dean (@LloydHDean) August 14, 2019

As long as it doesn't lead to a decrease in salary, this might be a good idea. https://t.co/vy3soW3aK3

— Trent M Kays, PhD 🏳️‍🌈 (@trentmkays) February 9, 2021

Try using decrease!

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of decrease?

A. lessen
B. dwindle
C. enlarge
D. decline