Reduce

Quick meaning: Reduce is a verb meaning (transitive) To bring down the size, quantity, quality, value or intensity of something; to diminish, to lower.

Meaning

(transitive) To bring down the size, quantity, quality, value or intensity of something; to diminish, to lower.

More Meanings

1. (intransitive) To lose weight.
2. (transitive) To bring to an inferior rank; to degrade, to demote.
3. (transitive) To humble; to conquer; to subdue; to capture.
4. (transitive) To bring to an inferior state or condition.
5. (transitive) To be forced by circumstances (into something one considers unworthy).
6. (transitive, cooking) To decrease the liquid content of (a food) by boiling much of its water off.
7. (transitive, chemistry) To add electrons / hydrogen or to remove oxygen.

Example Sentences

to reduce a sergeant to the ranks

Having reduced their foe to misery beneath their fears.

to reduce weight, speed, heat, expenses, price, personnel etc.

My father, the eldest son of an ancient but reduced family, left me with little.

Word Forms

• reduces
• reducing
• reduced

Synonyms for reduce

Depending on context, synonyms include cut, decrease, lower, abase, abate, belittle.

Antonyms for reduce

Common opposites include enlarge, increase, add, amplify, augment, dilate.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include cut back, scale down, shrink, trim, quash, repress.

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