| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | waste away; taper off |
| Synonyms: | abate, bate, become smaller, close, contract, decay, decline, decrease, die away, die down, die out, diminish, drain, drop, ebb, fade, fall, grow less, lessen, peter out, pine, shrink, shrivel, sink, slack off, subside, taper, wane, weaken, wither |
| Antonyms: | develop, enlarge, expand, extend, grow, increase, save, swell |
| Main Entry: | contract |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | condense |
| Synonyms: | abate, abbreviate, abridge, become smaller, clench, compress, confine, constrict, consume, curtail, decline, decrease, deflate, draw in, dwindle, ebb, edit, epitomize, evaporate, fall away, fall off, grow less, lessen, lose, narrow, omit, purse, recede, reduce, shrink, shrivel, subside, syncopate, take in, tighten, wane, waste, weaken, wither, wrinkle |
| Notes: | a compact is a formal agreement on rights and conduct, a treaty is a compact between nations, and a contract is a compact between two business entities |
| Antonyms: | amplify, dilate, enlarge, expand, extend, increase, lengthen, spread, stretch |
| Main Entry: | decay |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | deteriorate, crumble |
| Synonyms: | atrophy, be impaired, become contaminated, blight, break up, collapse, corrode, curdle, decline, decompose, defile, degenerate, depreciate, discolor, disintegrate, dissolve, dry-rot, dwindle, fade, fail, get worse, go bad, go to seed, go to the dogs, hit rock bottom, hit the skids, lessen, mildew, mold, molder, mortify, pejorate, perish, pollute, putrefy, putresce, reach depths, rot, sap, shrivel, sicken, sink, slump, spoil, suppurate, turn, wane, waste away, weaken, wear away, wither |
| Antonyms: | build, develop, flourish, germinate, grow, improve, ripen, strengthen |
| Main Entry: | decline |
| 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 |
| Antonyms: | improve, increase, rise |
| Main Entry: | decrease |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | grow less or make less |
| Synonyms: | abate, calm down, check, contract, crumble, curb, curtail, cut down, decay, decline, degenerate, depreciate, deteriorate, devaluate, die down, diminish, droop, drop, drop off, dry up, dwindle, ease, ebb, evaporate, fade, fall off, lessen, let up, lighten, lose edge, lower, modify, narrow down, peter out, quell, quiet, reduce, restrain, run low, settle, shrink, shrivel, sink, slack off, slacken, slash, slow down, slump, soften, subside, tail off, wane, waste, weaken, wear away, wear down, wither |
| Antonyms: | add, develop, enlarge, expand, grow, increase, raise |
| Main Entry: | depreciate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | devalue, lose value |
| Synonyms: | abate, cheapen, decay, decrease, decry, deflate, depress, deteriorate, devalorize, diminish, downgrade, drop, dwindle, erode, fall, lessen, lower, mark down, reduce, soften, underrate, undervalue, worsen, write down, write off |
| Antonyms: | gain value, increase, overrate, raise, rate |
| 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: | dissolve |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | disappear, disintegrate |
| Synonyms: | break down, break into pieces, break up, crumble, decline, decompose, diffuse, dilapidate, disband, disperse, dissipate, dwindle, evanesce, evaporate, fade, melt away, perish, separate, unmake, vanish, waste away |
| Antonyms: | appear, assemble, integrate, put together, unite |
| Main Entry: | drain |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | seep, discharge liquid |
| Synonyms: | abate, decline, decrease, diminish, dwindle, effuse, exude, filter off, flow, flow out, leak, leave dry, ooze, osmose, percolate, reduce, run off, taper off, trickle, well |
| Antonyms: | fill |