Diminishing
/dɪˈmɪnɪʃɪŋ/
verbadjectiveB2present participle / adjective form
Definition
Diminishing means that something is getting smaller or less in number, size, power, or value. It often describes a gradual reduction or decrease happening over time. For example, a diminishing supply means there is less and less of it left.
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See It in Action
Becoming smaller or less in size, number, or amount
- •The diminishing number of trees in the forest worries environmentalists.
- •His interest in the project was diminishing after many problems.
- •The sound was diminishing as the train moved farther away.
Describing something that reduces or weakens gradually (used as adjective)
- •They faced diminishing returns on their investment.
- •The diminishing light made it hard to see.
- •She noticed her diminishing confidence before the exam.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "diminishing" like "getting smaller" (A1 phrase), but it can apply to many things, not just size
- ✓Picture a candle burning down slowly, its light and wax diminishing as time passes
- ✓It's the feeling when your phone battery is low and the power is going down little by little
- ✓Sounds like "dim-in-ish-ing" → imagine the word "dim," which means less bright, growing stronger in meaning to "diminish" (get less)
- ✓Think of a story where a hero’s strength is slowly fading as their energy diminishes during a long battle
- ✓NOT like "stop" (which means end immediately), diminishing is slow and gradual
- ✓NOT like "break" (something suddenly becomes unusable), diminishing means a steady loss or reduction
- ✓NOT like "disappear" (completely gone), diminishing means still there but less than before
Try Other Words
- •Reducing: making something smaller or less (Use when focusing on the action of causing less)
- •Shrinking: becoming physically smaller (Use when talking about size or amount getting smaller)
- •Fading: slowly becoming less strong or visible (Use when talking about light, sound, or feelings becoming weaker)
- •Lessening: becoming smaller in amount or intensity (Use when emphasizing the process of becoming less)
Unboxing
- •Prefix: "di-" (a form of "dis-" meaning apart or away)
- •Root: "minish" from Latin "minuere" meaning to lessen or reduce
- •Suffix: "-ing" showing the action or state happening now (present participle)
- •Etymology: From Latin "diminuere" meaning to make smaller or lessen
- •Historical development: Used in English since the 15th century to describe reduction or decrease
- •Modern usage: Commonly used to describe anything that becomes less in size, number, importance, or strength over time
Reflect & Connect
•In what situations can something diminishing be a good thing, and when is it bad?
•How does the idea of diminishing relate to your own experiences with time or energy?
Fill in the blanks
1.The diminishing supply of clean water ___ serious problems for the community.
2.When her enthusiasm was diminishing, she started to ___ less effort in her work.
3.Unlike sudden disappearance, diminishing means something is still there but ___.
4.The phrase "diminishing returns" means that after a point, more effort leads to ___ results.
5.The sound was diminishing ___ the distance between us grew.
6.People often feel tired when their energy is diminishing ___ a long day.
7.The diminishing light made it difficult to ___ the words in the book.