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ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Reduce

/ɹɪˈd͡ʒuːs/ · verb

Meaning

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

Definitions by Sense

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

Example Sentences

to reduce weight, speed, heat, expenses, price, personnel etc.
Becoming more aware of the progress that scientists have made on behavioral fronts can reduce the risk that other natural scientists will resort to mystical agential accounts when they exceed the limits of their own disciplinary training.
Most train operators have reduced services with emergency timetables, as they struggle to cope with a rapid increase in staff absences due to the Omicron variant of COVID.
Drivers like the idea of increasing traffic flow and reducing congestion on the portion of I-80 between Davis and West Sacramento.
to reduce a sergeant to the ranks
My father, the eldest son of an ancient but reduced family, left me with little.
nothing so excellent but a man may falten upon something or other belonging to it whereby to reduce it .
Having reduced their foe to misery beneath their fears.

Synonyms for reduce

Antonyms for reduce

Related Words

Word Forms

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does reduce mean?

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

What is a synonym for reduce?

Common synonyms include cut, decrease, lower, abase.

What is the opposite of reduce?

Possible antonyms include enlarge, increase, add, amplify.

How do you use reduce in a sentence?

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

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.