C2
decrease vs diminish vs reduce vs shrink
The difference
| Word | Meaning | Goes with | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| decreaseverb/dɪˈkriːs/ | Meaning to become smaller in size, number or amount, or to make something do this | Goes with decrease significantly | Example The number of students taking French has decreased steadily since 2010. |
| diminishverb/dɪˈmɪn.ɪʃ/ | Meaning to become smaller or less important, or to make something do this | Goes with diminishing returns | Example Fish stocks in the Gulf of Tonkin have diminished over the past twenty years. |
| reduceverb/rɪˈduːs/ | Meaning to make something smaller in size, amount, number or level | Goes with reduce costs | Example The shop reduced all prices by thirty percent for the holiday. |
| shrinkverb/ʃrɪŋk/ | Meaning to become smaller, or to make something smaller, especially clothes after washing | Goes with shrink in the wash | Example Wash this cotton T-shirt in cold water, or it will shrink. |
Which word fits?
1 of 8Pick the word for the gap. Its form may change in the sentence.
Yoga helps me stress after a long day.