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 with the correct word:
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.