diminish
verb /dɪˈmɪnɪʃ/
/dɪˈmɪnɪʃ/
动词形式
Idioms | present simple I / you / we / they diminish | /dɪˈmɪnɪʃ/ /dɪˈmɪnɪʃ/ |
| he / she / it diminishes | /dɪˈmɪnɪʃɪz/ /dɪˈmɪnɪʃɪz/ |
| past simple diminished | /dɪˈmɪnɪʃt/ /dɪˈmɪnɪʃt/ |
| past participle diminished | /dɪˈmɪnɪʃt/ /dɪˈmɪnɪʃt/ |
| -ing form diminishing | /dɪˈmɪnɪʃɪŋ/ /dɪˈmɪnɪʃɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] to become smaller, weaker, etc.; to make something become smaller, weaker, etc.
减少；（使）减弱，缩减；降低 - The world's resources are rapidly diminishing.
世界资源正在迅速减少。 - His influence has diminished with time.
随着时间的推移，他的影响已不如从前了。 - diminish something The new law is expected to diminish the government's chances.
新法律有望减少政府的机会
- The world's resources are rapidly diminishing.
- [transitive] diminish somebody/something to make somebody/something seem less important than they really are
贬低；贬损；轻视 - I don't wish to diminish the importance of their contribution.
我并不想贬低他们所作贡献的重要性。 - The trial has aged and diminished him.
这场审讯使他衰老而且垮了。
- I don't wish to diminish the importance of their contribution.
词源late Middle English: blend of archaic minish ‘diminish’ (based on Latin minutia ‘smallness’) and obsolete diminue ‘speak disparagingly’ (based on Latin deminuere ‘lessen’ (in late Latin diminuere), from minuere ‘make small’).
Idioms
(the law of) diminishing returns
- used to refer to a point at which you start achieving less than the value of the time or money you put into something
减少： 用来指您开始获得的成就少于投入某物的时间或金钱的价值的那一点- Our efforts were producing diminishing returns.
我们不断投入，收益却在递减。 - In general, the more exercise you take, the greater the health benefit; but beyond a certain level you get diminishing returns.
一般来说，你锻炼得越多，对健康的好处就越大；但是超过一定的水平，你得到的回报就会减少。
- Our efforts were producing diminishing returns.