decrease

1 of 2

verb

de·​crease di-ˈkrēs How to pronounce decrease (audio) ˈdē-ˌkrēs How to pronounce decrease (audio)
decreased; decreasing
Synonyms of decreasenext

intransitive verb

: to become smaller in size, amount, number, or intensity
Yearly sales decreased by five percent.
His little remaining strength had been decreasing rapidly for two or three days preceding …—Charles Dickens

transitive verb

: to cause to decrease
decrease the risk of heart disease
trying to decrease our use of fossil fuels
decreasingly
di-ˈkrē-siŋ-lē How to pronounce decrease (audio)
dē-
adverb

decrease

2 of 2

noun

de·​crease ˈdē-ˌkrēs How to pronounce decrease (audio) di-ˈkrēs How to pronounce decrease (audio)
1
: the process of becoming progressively smaller (as in size, amount, number, or intensity) : the process of decreasing
a decrease in productivity
2
: an amount of diminution : reduction
a decrease of 20,000
saw a 20% decrease in violent crime

Synonyms of decrease

Relevance

Verb

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for decrease

decrease, lessen, diminish, reduce, abate, dwindle mean to grow or make less.

decrease suggests a progressive decline in size, amount, numbers, or intensity.

slowly decreased the amount of pressure

lessen suggests a decline in amount rather than in number.

has been unable to lessen her debt

diminish emphasizes a perceptible loss and implies its subtraction from a total.

his visual acuity has diminished

reduce implies a bringing down or lowering.

you must reduce your caloric intake

abate implies a reducing of something excessive or oppressive in force or amount.

the storm abated

dwindle implies progressive lessening and is applied to things growing visibly smaller.

their provisions dwindled slowly

Examples of decrease in a Sentence

Verb Sales decreased by five percent this year. The driver decreased her speed as she approached the curve. These changes will decrease our expenses. Noun Studies report a recent decrease in traffic accidents. Because of the injury, some decrease in mobility is to be expected. a decrease of three dollars
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The final cash payout could decrease depending on the total number of valid claims filed, the settlement website states. — Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 30 June 2026 Meanwhile, the electric motor output decreases to 402 hp (300 kW) next year. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 29 June 2026
Noun
That decrease in crowd size didn't seem to affect business too negatively, as lines for indoor and window counters extended out the door and around the building throughout the morning. — Nolan Rogalski, The Providence Journal, 5 July 2026 Yet, if investments in digital defense hit record highs every year, why doesn't corporate vulnerability decrease? — Vicente Pava, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for decrease

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English decreessen, from Anglo-French decrestre, from Latin decrescere, from de- + crescere to grow — more at crescent

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of decrease was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing decrease

Rhymes for decrease

See All Rhymes for decrease

Browse Nearby Words

decrater
decrease
decreasing cost
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Decrease.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decrease. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

decrease

1 of 2 verb
de·​crease di-ˈkrēs How to pronounce decrease (audio) ˈdē-ˌkrēs How to pronounce decrease (audio)
decreased; decreasing
: to make or become smaller
decrease speed
decrease 6 by 2

decrease

2 of 2 noun
de·​crease ˈdē-ˌkrēs How to pronounce decrease (audio) di-ˈkrēs How to pronounce decrease (audio)
1
: a process of decreasing
a decrease in accidents
2
: the amount by which a thing decreases
a decrease of three dollars

More from Merriam-Webster on decrease

Nglish: Translation of decrease for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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