decrease

verb

OPAL W

/dɪˈkriːs/

[intransitive, transitive] (rather formal)

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they decrease	/dɪˈkriːs/ /dɪˈkriːs/
he / she / it decreases	/dɪˈkriːsɪz/ /dɪˈkriːsɪz/
past simple decreased	/dɪˈkriːst/ /dɪˈkriːst/
past participle decreased	/dɪˈkriːst/ /dɪˈkriːst/
-ing form decreasing	/dɪˈkriːsɪŋ/ /dɪˈkriːsɪŋ/

jump to other results

to become smaller in size, number, etc.; to make something smaller in size, number, etc.
- Donations have decreased significantly over the past few years.
- a decreasing population
- decrease (from something) (to something) The number of new students decreased from 210 to 160 this year.
- decrease by something The price of wheat has decreased by 5 per cent.
- decrease in something This species of bird is decreasing in numbers every year.
- to decrease in size/value
- decrease with something Fertility decreases with age.
- decrease something The drug did not significantly decrease the risk of heart attack.
- People should decrease the amount of fat they eat.
- to decrease the incidence/likelihood/rate of something
opposite increase
Extra Examples
- Average family size has decreased from five to three children.
- Crime has decreased by 20 per cent.
- The heart gradually decreases in size.
- Spending has decreased slightly this year.
- The dose was gradually decreased after eight weeks.
- The number of quarrels among children decreases with age.
- Symptoms include a dry mouth, decreased appetite, headache and tiredness.
Topics Change, cause and effectb2, Moneyb2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- considerably
- dramatically
- drastically
- …
preposition
- by
- from
- to
- …
phrases
- decrease in number, size, value, etc.
See full entry
Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French decreis (noun), decreistre (verb), based on Latin decrescere, from de- ‘down’ + crescere ‘grow’.

decrease

noun

OPAL W

/ˈdiːkriːs/

[countable, uncountable]

jump to other results

the process of reducing something; the amount that something is reduced by synonym reduction
- Sales for May show a decrease compared with the same month last year.
- decrease in something There has been some decrease in military spending this year.
- a decrease in the number/level/rate of something
- There has been a dramatic decrease in activity among our kids.
- decrease of something (in something) There has been a decrease of nearly 6 per cent in the number of visitors to the museum.
- decrease (from something) (to something) a decrease from 62% to just under half
- on the decrease Marriage is still on the decrease (= decreasing).
opposite increase
More Like This Pronunciation changes by part of speech
Pronunciation changes by part of speech
- abuse
- alternate
- advocate
- approximate
- contract
- converse
- convict
- decrease
- delegate
- discount
- duplicate
- estimate
- export
- extract
- graduate
- import
- intimate
- moderate
- object
- permit
- present
- protest
- record
- refund
- refuse
- subject
- suspect
- survey
- torment
- upgrade
Extra Examples
- Half the companies in the survey reported a decrease in sales.
- It is not uncommon to experience a decrease in confidence after a divorce.
- The new treatment led to a huge decrease in the number of deaths.
- There has been a sharp decrease in pollution since the law was introduced.
- This year's figures show a decrease of 30 per cent on last year.
Topics Change, cause and effectb2, Moneyb2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- dramatic
- drastic
- great
- …
verb + decrease
- demonstrate
- display
- exhibit
- …
preposition
- on the decrease
- decrease from… to…
- decrease in
- …
See full entry
Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French decreis (noun), decreistre (verb), based on Latin decrescere, from de- ‘down’ + crescere ‘grow’.