diminishing

Everyday

1. Diminishing means getting smaller, fewer or weaker over time. tree →
2. (adjective) Diminishing describes something that is becoming smaller or less: «diminishing supplies». tree →

In the lessons

In science and geography it describes shrinking things: forests, ice, water supplies. In maths it signals decrease — the number is going down. Phrases: «diminishing returns», «a diminishing number», «diminishing light».

Examples

• The water in the tank is diminishing day by day. tree →
• The diminishing light told us night was coming. tree →
• Their supply of food was diminishing fast. tree →
• Rainforests are diminishing around the world. tree →
• The noise of the plane was diminishing in the distance. tree →
• A diminishing pattern: 64, 32, 16, 8 — what comes next? tree →
• But the sand hill only drove the pond a little farther away, and its waters seemed to increase instead of diminishing. tree →

Note

Formal; everyday words are «getting smaller», «shrinking», «going down». Opposite: increasing, growing. Maths: diminishing means the numbers decrease.