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diminish

verb
 
🔊/dɪˈmɪnɪʃ/
🔊/dɪˈmɪnɪʃ/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they diminish
🔊/dɪˈmɪnɪʃ/
🔊/dɪˈmɪnɪʃ/
he / she / it diminishes
🔊/dɪˈmɪnɪʃɪz/
🔊/dɪˈmɪnɪʃɪz/
past simple diminished
🔊/dɪˈmɪnɪʃt/
🔊/dɪˈmɪnɪʃt/
past participle diminished
🔊/dɪˈmɪnɪʃt/
🔊/dɪˈmɪnɪʃt/
-ing form diminishing
🔊/dɪˈmɪnɪʃɪŋ/
🔊/dɪˈmɪnɪʃɪŋ/
Idioms
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  1.  
    [intransitive, transitive] to become smaller, weaker, etc.; to make something become smaller, weaker, etc. 减少；（使）减弱，缩减；降低synonym decrease
    • The world's resources are rapidly diminishing.世界资源正在迅速减少。🔊🔊
    • His influence has diminished with time.随着时间的推移，他的影响已不如从前了。🔊🔊
    • diminish something The new law is expected to diminish the government's chances.新法律有望减少政府的机会
  2.  
    [transitive] diminish somebody/something to make somebody/something seem less important than they really are贬低；贬损；轻视
    • I don't wish to diminish the importance of their contribution.我并不想贬低他们所作贡献的重要性。🔊🔊
    • The trial has aged and diminished him.这场审讯使他衰老而且垮了。
    3. Word Originlate Middle English: blend of archaic minish ‘diminish’ (based on Latin minutia ‘smallness’) and obsolete diminue ‘speak disparagingly’ (based on Latin deminuere ‘lessen’ (in late Latin diminuere), from minuere ‘make small’).
Idioms
(the law of) diminishing returns
  1. used to refer to a point at which you start achieving less than the value of the time or money you put into something
    • Our efforts were producing diminishing returns.我们不断投入，收益却在递减。🔊🔊
    • In general, the more exercise you take, the greater the health benefit; but beyond a certain level you get diminishing returns.通常，您进行的运动越多，对健康的好处就越大；但超过一定水平，您得到的回报却越来越少。