di·min·ish
verb/dɪˈmɪnɪʃ/
/dɪˈmɪnɪʃ/
Verb Forms
Idioms | present simple I / you / we / they diminish | /dɪˈmɪnɪʃ/ /dɪˈmɪnɪʃ/ |
| he / she / it diminishes | /dɪˈmɪnɪʃɪz/ /dɪˈmɪnɪʃɪz/ |
| past simple diminished | /dɪˈmɪnɪʃt/ /dɪˈmɪnɪʃt/ |
| past participle diminished | /dɪˈmɪnɪʃt/ /dɪˈmɪnɪʃt/ |
| -ing form diminishing | /dɪˈmɪnɪʃɪŋ/ /dɪˈmɪnɪʃɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] to become smaller, weaker, etc.; to make something become smaller, weaker, etc.
减少；（使）减弱，缩减；降低 - The world's resources are rapidly diminishing.
世界资源正在迅速减少。 - His influence has diminished with time.
随着时间的推移，他的影响已不如从前了。 - diminish something The new law is expected to diminish the government's chances.
预计新法律将减少政府的机会。
- The world's resources are rapidly diminishing.
- [transitive] diminish somebody/something to make somebody/something seem less important than they really are
贬低；贬损；轻视 - I don't wish to diminish the importance of their contribution.
我并不想贬低他们所作贡献的重要性。 - The trial has aged and diminished him.
这场审讯使他衰老而且垮了。
- I don't wish to diminish the importance of their contribution.
Word Originlate Middle English: blend of archaic minish ‘diminish’ (based on Latin minutia ‘smallness’) and obsolete diminue ‘speak disparagingly’ (based on Latin deminuere ‘lessen’ (in late Latin diminuere), from minuere ‘make small’).
Idioms
(the law of) diminishing returns
- used to refer to a point at which you start achieving less than the value of the time or money you put into something
收益递减，回报递减（规律） - Our efforts were producing diminishing returns.
我们不断投入，收益却在递减。 - In general, the more exercise you take, the greater the health benefit; but beyond a certain level you get diminishing returns.
一般来说，锻炼越多，对健康的益处就越大；但超过一定水平，你的回报就会递减。
- Our efforts were producing diminishing returns.