decreasing
Americanadjective
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becoming less or fewer; diminishing.
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Mathematics. (of a function) having the property that for any two points in the domain such that one is larger than the other, the image of the larger point is less than or equal to the image of the smaller point; nonincreasing.
Usage
What does decreasing mean? Decreasing is an adjective that means lessening or in decline—becoming less in number, amount, size, or in some other way. It comes from the continuous tense (-ing form) of the verb decrease, which means 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. The word decreased can also be used as an adjective to describe things that have lessened or declined, as in a decreased appetite. Example: Decreasing sales have forced the company to cut costs.
Other Word Forms
- decreasingly adverb
- undecreasing adjective
- undecreasingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of decreasing
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at decrease, -ing 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"So the birds were decreasing in numbers," Neave says.
From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026
It’s hardly a far stretch to suggest that global warming is implicated in decreasing sperm count.
From Slate • Apr. 16, 2026
Body weight also fell by about 25%, decreasing from roughly 40 grams to around 30 grams.
From Science Daily • Apr. 16, 2026
They also are sensitive to environmental conditions and can change chemical composition if stored at the wrong temperatures or shaken too vigorously, increasing the risk of an immune response or decreasing their effectiveness.
From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026
But then a few years later, rates of execution and death sentencing were once again decreasing.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
