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| Main Entry: | |
| 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 |
| Main Entry: | abate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | lessen, grow or cause to grow less |
| Synonyms: | allay, chill out, coast*, cool, cool it, decline, decrease, diminish, dull, dwindle, ebb, go with the flow, hang easy, hang loose, lay back, let go, let it all hang out, let up, mellow out, moderate, quell, recede, reduce, slacken, slow, subdue, subside, take it easy, taper, taper off, unlax, wane |
| Antonyms: | amplify, enhance, enlarge, extend, increase, intensify, magnify, prolong, revive, rise |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| 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: | 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: | 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 |
| Notes: | one declines (or accepts) something that is offered; one refuses (or agrees) to accept something offered |
| Antonyms: | improve, 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: | 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: | 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: | die |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | wither, dwindle |
| Synonyms: | abate, bate, break down, crumble, decay, decline, degenerate, deteriorate, dilapidate, diminish, disappear, droop, ease off, ebb, end, expire, fade, fade away, fade out, fail, fall, fizzle out, go bad, go downhill, halt, lapse, let up, lose power, melt away, moderate, molder, pass, peter out, rankle, recede, retrograde, rot, run down, run low, run out, sink, slacken, stop, subside, vanish, wane, weaken, wear away, wilt |
| Antonyms: | develop, flourish, grow, improve |
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
