Word Meanings - DECREASE - Book Publishers vocabulary database

To grow less, -- opposed to increase; to be diminished gradually, in size, degree, number, duration, etc., or in strength, quality, or excellence; as, they days decrease in length from June to December. He must increase, but I must decrease. John

Additional info about word: DECREASE

To grow less, -- opposed to increase; to be diminished gradually, in size, degree, number, duration, etc., or in strength, quality, or excellence; as, they days decrease in length from June to December. He must increase, but I must decrease. John iii. 30. Syn. -- To Decrease, Diminish. Things usually decrease or fall off by degrees, and from within, or through some cause which is imperceptible; as, the flood decreases; the cold decreases; their affection has decreased. Things commonly diminish by an influence from without, or one which is apparent; as, the army was diminished by disease; his property is diminishing through extravagance; their affection has diminished since their separation their separation. The turn of thought, however, is often such that these words may be interchanged. The olive leaf, which certainly them told The flood decreased. Drayton. Crete's ample fields diminish to our eye; Before the Boreal blasts the vessels fly. Pope. (more info) or from the OF. noun , fr. L. decrescere to grow

Possible synonyms: (Same meaning words of DECREASE)

• Abate
• Terminate
• remove
• suppress
• lower
• reduce
• mitigate
• diminish
• moderate
• lessen
• subside
• decrease
• Consumption
• Decline
• decay
• expenditure
• waste
• decrement
• lessening
• Contract Abridge
• abbreviate
• narrow
• compress
• retrench
• curtail
• form
• agree
• Decay Decline
• wane
• sink
• dwindle
• rot
• wither
• perish
• ebb
• Decay
• Declension
• waning
• sinking
• wasting
• corruption
• decadence
• putrefaction
• rottenness
• dry rot
• consumption
• decline

Possible antonyms: (opposite words of DECREASE)

• Rise
• grow
• increase
• flourish
• luxuriate
• vegetate
• expand
• enlarge
• Increase
• amplify
• augment
• extend
• Hoist
• raise
• heighten
• exalt
• aggrandize
• elevate

Related words: (words related to DECREASE)

• WASTING
  Causing waste; also, undergoing waste; diminishing; as, a wasting disease; a wasting fortune. Wasting palsy , progressive muscular atrophy. See under Progressive.
• DIMINISH
  To make smaller by a half step; to make less than minor; as, a diminished seventh. 4. To take away; to subtract. Neither shall ye diminish aught from it. Deut. iv. 2. Diminished column, one whose upper diameter is less than the lower.
• WANTLESS
  Having no want; abundant; fruitful.
• WANTON
  wanting , hence expressing negation + towen, p. p., AS. togen, p. p. of teón to draw, to educate, bring up; hence, 1. Untrained; undisciplined; unrestrained; hence, loose; free; luxuriant; roving; sportive. "In woods and wanton wilderness."
• DECAY
  To pass gradually from a sound, prosperous, or perfect state, to one of imperfection, adversity, or dissolution; to waste away; to decline; to fail; to become weak, corrupt, or disintegrated; to rot; to perish; as, a tree decays; fortunes decay;
• WANGER
  A pillow for the cheek; a pillow. His bright helm was his wanger. Chaucer.
• WANING
  The act or process of waning, or decreasing. This earthly moon, the Church, hath fulls and wanings, and sometimes her eclipses. Bp. Hall.
• WASTEL
  A kind of white and fine bread or cake; -- called also wastel bread, and wastel cake. Roasted flesh or milk and wasted bread. Chaucer. The simnel bread and wastel cakes, which were only used at the tables of the highest nobility. Sir W. Scott.
• CONSUMPTION
  A progressive wasting away of the body; esp., that form of wasting, attendant upon pulmonary phthisis and associated with cough, spitting of blood, hectic fever, etc.; pulmonary phthisis; -- called also pulmonary consumption. Consumption of the
• WAST
  The second person singular of the verb be, in the indicative mood, imperfect tense; -- now used only in solemn or poetical style. See Was.
• WASTETHRIFT
  A spendthrift.
• CORRUPTIONIST
  One who corrupts, or who upholds corruption. Sydney Smith.
• REDUCEMENT
  Reduction. Milton.
• SUPPRESSOR
  One who suppresses.
• WANDERMENT
  The act of wandering, or roaming. Bp. Hall.
• ENLARGEMENT
  1. The act of increasing in size or bulk, real or apparent; the state of being increased; augmentation; further extension; expansion. 2. Expansion or extension, as of the powers of the mind; ennoblement, as of the feelings and character; as, an
• RAISE
  To create or constitute; as, to raise a use that is, to create it. Burrill. To raise a blockade , to remove or break up a blockade, either by withdrawing the ships or forces employed in enforcing it, or by driving them away or dispersing them.
• ABATER
  One who, or that which, abates.
• PERISHMENT
  The act of perishing. Udall.
• CONTRACTIBLE
  Capable of contraction. Small air bladders distable and contractible. Arbuthnot.
• ALKALI WASTE
  Waste material from the manufacture of alkali; specif., soda waste.
• WILLOWER
  A willow. See Willow, n., 2.
• WINDFLOWER
  The anemone; -- so called because formerly supposed to open only when the wind was blowing. See Anemone.
• APPRAISER
  One who appraises; esp., a person appointed and sworn to estimate and fix the value of goods or estates.
• REINCREASE
  To increase again.
• FLOWERY-KIRTLED
  Dressed with garlands of flowers. Milton.
• CAULIFLOWER
  An annual variety of Brassica oleracea, or cabbage of which the cluster of young flower stalks and buds is eaten as a vegetable. 2. The edible head or "curd" of a caulifower plant. (more info) caulis, and by E. flower; F. chou cabbage is fr. L.
• OVERWASTED
  Wasted or worn out; Drayton.
• SEAWAND
  See GIRDLES
• DISAGREEABLENESS
  The state or quality of being; disagreeable; unpleasantness.
• JUWANSA
  The camel's thorn. See under Camel.