Definitions and Examples of shrink, decrease, diminish
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
To become smaller in size or amount.
Example
The wool sweater shrunk in the wash and no longer fit him.
To become smaller in size, quantity, or intensity.
Example
The company's profits decreased by 20% due to the pandemic.
To make or become less in size, importance, or value.
Example
The impact of his speech diminished as people started leaving the room.
Key Differences: shrink vs decrease vs diminish
- 1Shrink is used to describe a physical reduction in size, whereas decrease and diminish can be used to describe a reduction in size, quantity, or intensity.
- 2Decrease is a more general term that can be used to describe any kind of reduction, while diminish implies a reduction in importance or value.
Effective Usage of shrink, decrease, diminish
- 1Business: Use decrease to describe a reduction in profits, sales, or revenue.
- 2Cooking: Use shrink to describe food that has reduced in size due to cooking or baking.
- 3Academics: Use diminish to describe the reduced significance of a theory or argument over time.
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Remember this!
The antonyms of grow are shrink, decrease, and diminish. Shrink describes a physical reduction in size, while decrease and diminish can be used to describe a reduction in size, quantity, or intensity. Use these words in different contexts such as business, cooking, and academics to convey the opposite of growth.
