| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | lessening, reduction |
| Synonyms: | abatement, alleviation, contraction, curtailment, cut, cutback, decay, decline, decrease, deduction, retrenchment, weakening |
| Antonyms: | development, enlargement, expansion, growth, increase |
| Main Entry: | atrophy |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | wasting away, disintegration |
| Synonyms: | decline, degeneracy, degeneration, deterioration, diminution, downfall, downgrade |
| Main Entry: | consumption |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | devouring; use |
| Synonyms: | burning, consuming, damage, decay, decrease, depletion, desolation, destruction, devastation, diminution, dispersion, dissipation, drinking, eating, exhaustion, expenditure, loss, misuse, ruin, swallowing, using up, utilization, waste, wear and tear |
| Antonyms: | fasting, starvation |
| Main Entry: | contraction |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | drawing in; shortening |
| Synonyms: | abbreviating, abbreviation, abridging, abridgment, compression, condensation, condensing, confinement, confining, constriction, curtailing, curtailment, cutting down, decrease, decreasing, deflating, deflation, diminishing, diminution, drawing together, dwindling, elision, evaporating, evaporation, lessening, lopping, narrowing, omission, omitting, receding, recession, reducing, reduction, shrinkage, shrinking, shrivelling, tensing, tightening, withdrawal, withdrawing |
| Antonyms: | amplification, dilation, enlargement, expansion, extension, increase, lengthening, spread, stretch |
| Main Entry: | decline |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | lessening |
| Synonyms: | abatement, backsliding, comedown, cropper, decay, decrepitude, degeneracy, degeneration, descent, deterioration, devolution, diminution, dissolution, dive, downfall, downgrade, downturn, drop, dwindling, ebb, ebbing, enfeeblement, failing, failure, fall, falling off, flop, lapse, on the skids, pratfall, recession, relapse, senility, skids, slump, wane, waning, weakening, worsening |
| Notes: | one declines (or accepts) something that is offered; one refuses (or agrees) to accept something offered |
| Antonyms: | betterment, improvement, increase, rise |
| Main Entry: | decrease |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | diminishing, lessening |
| Synonyms: | abatement, compression, condensation, constriction, contraction, cutback, decline, declining, decrescence, depression, diminution, discount, downturn, dwindling, ebb, falling off, loss, reduction, shrinkage, striction, subsidence, waning |
| Antonyms: | addition, development, enlargement, expansion, growth, increase, raise |
| Main Entry: | deduction |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | something subtracted |
| Synonyms: | abatement, abstraction, allowance, credit, cut, decrease, decrement, depreciation, diminution, discount, dockage, excision, rebate, reduction, removal, subtraction, withdrawal, write-off |
| Antonyms: | addition, increase, rise |
| Main Entry: | discount |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | reduction in cost |
| Synonyms: | abatement, allowance, commission, concession, cut, cut rate, decrease, deduction, depreciation, diminution, drawback, exemption, knock-off, markdown, modification, percentage, premium, qualification, rebate, remission, rollback, salvage, something off, subtraction, tare |
| Antonyms: | increase, mark-up, premium, rise |
| Main Entry: | ebb |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | regression; decline |
| Synonyms: | abatement, backflow, decay, decrease, degeneration, depreciation, deterioration, diminution, drop, dwindling, fading away, flagging, going out, lessening, low tide, low water, outward flow, petering out, recession, refluence, reflux, retreat, retrocession, retroflux, shrinkage, sinking, slackening, subsidence, sweep, wane, waning, weakening, withdrawal |
| Antonyms: | flow, incline, increase, rise |