english
1
general::
noun ADJ. dramatic, large, sharp, significant There has been a sharp decrease in pollution since the law was introduced. | slight, small | gradual, progressive, steady | corresponding Fewer houses are available, but there is no corresponding decrease in demand. VERB + DECREASE show This year's figures show a decrease of 30% on last year. | report Half the companies in the survey reported a decrease in sales. | cause, lead to, result in PREP. on the ~ Marriage is still on the decrease. | ~ from … to … a decrease from 62% to just under half | ~ in The new treatment led to a huge decrease in the number of deaths. | ~ of a decrease of 20% | ~ to, verb ADV. considerably, dramatically, drastically, markedly, significantly | slightly Spending has decreased slightly this year. | rapidly | steadily | gradually PREP. by Crime has decreased by 20 per cent. | from, to Average family size has decreased from five to three children. | with The number of quarrels among children decreases with age. PHRASES decrease in number/size/value The heart gradually decreases in size.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
2
general::
decrease
to become less in number or amount:
• The average rainfall has decreased by around 30 percent.
go down
to decrease. Go down is less formal than decrease and is the usual word to use in conversation:
• Unemployment has gone down in the past few months.
decline
formal to decrease – used with numbers or amounts, or about the level or standard of something:
• The standard of living has declined. • Support for the government is steadily declining. • Salaries have declined by around 4.5%.
diminish
to become smaller or less important:
• Union membership diminished from 30,000 at its height to just 2,000 today.
fall/drop
to decrease, especially by a large amount. Fall and drop are less formal than decrease:
• The number of tigers in the wild has fallen to just over 10,000. • At night, the temperature drops to minus 20 degrees.
plunge
plummet to suddenly decrease very quickly and by a very large amount:
• Share prices have plummeted 29% in the last four months. • Climate change could cause global temperatures to plummet.
slide
if a price or value slides, it gradually decreases in a way that causes problems – used especially in news reports:
• The dollar fell in late trading in New York yesterday and slid further this morning.
dwindle
to gradually decrease until there is very little left of something, especially numbers or amounts, popularity, or importance:
• Support for the theory is dwindling.
taper off
if a number or the amount of an activity that is happening tapers off, it gradually decreases, especially so that it stops completely:
• Political violence tapered off after the elections.
Longman-Thesaurus
3
general::
noun
reduction:
The decrease in prices was small.
verb
lessen:
We'll decrease the number of workers.
Simple Definitions
4
general::
decrease
adverbs
significantly
(= enough to be an important change )
• Violent crime has significantly decreased over the last ten years.
considerably/substantially
(= a lot )
• During this period unemployment decreased considerably.
markedly
(= very noticeably )
• Aircraft collisions decreased markedly during the 1990s.
rapidly
(= very quickly )
• Since then, elephant numbers have been decreasing rapidly.
dramatically
(= suddenly and a lot )
• The survival rate decreases dramatically as the disease progresses.
slightly
(= a little )
• Population levels actually began to slightly decrease five years ago.
steadily
(= gradually and continuously )
• The proportion of adult cigarette smokers has been steadily decreasing.
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