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| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | lessen, become less |
| Synonyms: | abate, backslide, cheapen, decay, decrease, degenerate, depreciate, deteriorate, diminish, disimprove, disintegrate, droop, drop, dwindle, ebb, fade, fail, fall, fall off, flag, go downhill, go to pot, go to the dogs, hit the skids, languish, lapse, lose value, lower, pine, recede, relapse, retrograde, return, revert, rot, sag, settle, shrink, sink, slide, subside, wane, weaken, worsen |
| Notes: | one declines (or accepts) something that is offered; one refuses (or agrees) to accept something offered |
| Antonyms: | improve, increase, rise |
| Main Entry: | decry |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | criticize, blame |
| Synonyms: | abuse, asperse, bad-mouth, belittle, calumniate, censure, condemn, cry down, defame, denounce, depreciate, derogate, detract, devalue, diminish, discount, discredit, disgrace, disparage, do a number on, downgrade, dump on, hit*, knock*, lower, malign, mark down, minimize, opprobriate, pan, poor-mouth, put down, rail against, rap, reprehend, reprobate, run down, slam*, take away, take swipe at, throw stones at, traduce, underestimate, underrate, undervalue, vilify, write off |
| Antonyms: | applaud, compliment, exalt, laud, praise |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | deflate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | reduce or cause to contract |
| Synonyms: | collapse, decrease, depreciate, depress, devalue, diminish, empty, exhaust, flatten, puncture, shrink, squash, void |
| Antonyms: | blow up, expand, inflate |
| Main Entry: | deprecate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | belittle, condemn |
| Synonyms: | cut down to size, depreciate, derogate, detract, disapprove of, discommend, discountenance, disesteem, disfavor, disparage, expostulate, frown, mudsling, not go for, object, pooh-pooh, poor mouth, protest against, put down*, rip*, run down, take dim view of, take down, take exception to |
| Antonyms: | approve, build up, commend, compliment, endorse, laud, praise |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | depress |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | devalue |
| Synonyms: | cheapen, debase, depreciate, diminish, downgrade, impair, lessen, lower, reduce |
| Antonyms: | increase, raise |
| Main Entry: | deteriorate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | decay, degenerate |
| Synonyms: | adulterate, alloy, be worse for wear, become worse, break, corrode, corrupt, crumble, debase, debilitate, decline, decompose, degrade, deprave, depreciate, descend, disimprove, disintegrate, ebb, fade, fail, fall apart, flag, go downhill, go to pieces, go to pot, go to the dogs, hit the skids, impair, injure, languish, lapse, lessen, lose it, lose quality, lower, mar, pervert, regress, retrograde, retrogress, rot, sink, skid, slide, spoil, undermine, vitiate, weaken, wear away, worsen |
| Notes: | to degenerate means 'to decline in value, move lower on a scale' but to deteriorate means 'to worsen, to become lowered, or be reduced in value'; degenerate pertains more to character and virtue while deteriorate is more about loss of strength or vitality |
| Antonyms: | build, construct, develop, get better, improve |
| Main Entry: | detract |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | take away a part; lessen |
| Synonyms: | backbite, belittle, blister, cheapen, cut rate, decrease, decry, depreciate, derogate, devaluate, diminish, discount, discredit, disesteem, draw away, knock*, laugh at, lower, minimize, misprize, reduce, subtract from, underrate, undervalue, vilipend, withdraw, write off |
| Antonyms: | add to, increase, optimize |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | diminish |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | become or cause to be less |
| Synonyms: | abate, abbreviate, attenuate, become smaller, close, contract, curtail, cut, decline, decrease, depreciate, die out, drain, dwindle, ebb, extenuate, fade away, lessen, lower, minify, moderate, peter out, recede, reduce, retrench, shrink, shrivel, slacken, subside, taper, temper, wane, weaken |
| Antonyms: | develop, enlarge, expand, extend, grow, increase, lengthen, prolong |
| Main Entry: | diminish |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | belittle |
| Synonyms: | abuse, bad-mouth, cheapen, cut down to size, decry, demean, depreciate, derogate, detract from, devalue, dispraise, dump on, give comeuppance, knock off high horse, minimize, pan, poormouth, put away, put down*, run down, tear down |
| Antonyms: | compliment, flatter, praise |
* = informal/non-formal usage
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
