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| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | decrease |
| Synonyms: | abate, diminish, ease, flag, let up, loose, loosen, mitigate, moderate, reduce, relax, relent, remit, retard, sag, slack, slake, slow, soften, subside, temper, untighten, weaken |
| Antonyms: | tighten |
| 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: | bog down |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | stick; become stuck |
| Synonyms: | decelerate, delay, detain, halt, hang up, impede, retard, set back, sink, slacken, slow down, slow up, stall |
| Main Entry: | brake |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | check; stop |
| Synonyms: | bar, block, dam, decelerate, halt, hinder, impede, moderate, obstruct, reduce speed, slacken, slow, slow down, stop |
| Notes: | to brake is to slow or stop while break is to cause to separate into pieces suddenly or violently, smash or crack |
| Antonyms: | accelerate |
| Main Entry: | compose |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | calm, bring under control |
| Synonyms: | adjust, allay, appease, arrange, assuage, balm, becalm, check, collect, comfort, console, contain, control, cool, ease, ease up, hold in, lessen, let up, lull, mitigate, moderate, modulate, pacify, placate, quell, quiet, re-collect, reconcile, regulate, rein, relax, repress, resolve, restrain, settle, simmer down, slacken, smother, soften, solace, soothe, still, suppress, temper, tranquilize, tune down |
| Notes: | compose is preferred when the parts of the whole being assembled are regarded as nonconcrete and more general; when the parts are concrete and specific, then constitute is more appropriate, and then there is comprise, which can mean 'comprehending or encompassing certain parts' |
| Antonyms: | agitate, anger, arouse, distress, excite, upset |
| 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: | delay |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | cause stop in action |
| Synonyms: | adjourn, arrest, bar, bide time, block, check, choke, clog, confine, curb, dawdle, defer, detain, deter, dilly-dally, discourage, drag, encumber, filibuster, gain time, hamper, hold, hold over, impede, inhibit, interfere, intermit, keep, keep back, lag, lay over, linger, loiter, obstruct, postpone, prevent, procrastinate, prolong, prorogue, protract, put off, remand, repress, restrict, retard, shelve, slacken, stall, stave off, stay, suspend, table, tarry, temporize, withhold |
| Notes: | various things may cause a delay, but a postponement will result from the action of a person |
| Antonyms: | advance, dispatch, expedite, further, hasten, hurry, rush, speed |
| 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 |
| 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 |
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.
