What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
weaken
Example
The illness weakened her body. [weaken: verb]
Example
The storm weakened as it moved inland. [weakened: past tense]
Example
The criticism weakened his confidence. [weakening: gerund or present participle]
reduce
Example
We need to reduce our expenses. [reduce: verb]
Example
The company reduced its workforce. [reduced: past tense]
Example
Reducing the recipe by half will make less food. [reducing: gerund or present participle]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Reduce is more commonly used than weaken in everyday language. Reduce is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while weaken is less common and refers to a specific type of decrease.
Whatโs the difference in the tone of formality between weaken and reduce?
Both weaken and reduce can be used in formal or informal contexts. However, reduce is more versatile and commonly used in both formal and informal settings.
