To reduce someone to tears
You may choose to scold this child, but there’s no need to reduce him to tears. (Ви можете сварити цю дитину, але необов’язково доводити її до сліз)
to decrease – to (cause to) become less, to diminish or cause to diminish in size, number, strength, etc. (зменшувати(ся), убувати, спадати, знижуватися / уменьшаться, убывать, сокращаться; уменьшать, сокращать), normally retains, even in the transitive, an implication of the process of growing less, and suggests progressive decline
forces that decrease the population
his temperature decreases
his fears decreased as dawn approached
the rise of the public high school . . . decreased the number and lessened the importance of the academies
a gradual/sharp/steady decrease in demand, on the decrease, to decrease expenditures
to decrease from … to … — уменьшаться с … до...
to decrease by … — уменьшаться на ...
to decrease in smth. — уменьшаться в (чём-л.)
Over the same period the percentage has decreased from 27 per cent to 9 per cent. — За тот же период процентное соотношение сократилось с двадцати семи процентов до девяти.
The price has decreased by 15 %. — Цена уменьшилась на пятнадцать процентов.
Between 1920 and 1953 the average hours of work decreased by ten: from fifty to forty hours. — За период с 1920 по 1953 год средняя продолжительность рабочей недели сократилась на десять часов: с пятидесяти часов в неделю до сорока.
The roar decreased in volume. — Рёв стал тише.
Our share of the market has decreased sharply this year.
We have decreased our involvement in children's books.
to lessen – 1) to make or become less 2) to make little of (1) зменшувати(ся) 2) недооцінювати, применшувати / 1) а) уменьшаться, сокращаться б) уменьшать, сокращать 2) преуменьшать; недооценивать, умалять), is a close synonym of decrease but the latter is to be preferred in contexts employing specific numbers; thus, it is idiomatic to say that a fever has lessened or that it has decreased from 101° to 99°
I hoped to obtain your forgiveness, to lessen your ill opinion.
to lessen the hours of work — сократить часы работы
If something lessens or is lessened, it becomes less strong.
The rain eventually lessened to a soft mist.
Eating properly can lessen the risk of heart disease.
lessen fertility снизить плодородие
lessen punishment/policy (політика невтручання)/rank (понизити у званні)/speed/services (применшувати заслуги)/tensions (послаблювати напруженість)
to diminish – to reduce or be reduced in size or importance, is a more precise word when the ideas of taking away or subtraction by an agent and of resultant perceptible loss are to be emphasized (зменшувати, убавляти, принижувати, скорочувати, слабшати / убывать, уменьшать(ся), умалять, преуменьшать (значение чего-л.), делать тише, постепенно уменьшать звук; сыграть диминуэндо)
their funds were greatly diminished by their extravagance
his sense of personal initiative is cultivated instead of being diminished
There is nothing you can say that will diminish her resolve.
I don't want to diminish her achievements, but she did have a lot of help.
The memory of them will not be diminished by time.
What he did has seriously diminished him in many people's eyes.
He says that in his opinion the influence of the church has been slowly diminishing for many years.
We have seen the value of our house diminish greatly/sharply/substantially in value over the last six months.
(legal) If someone is in a state of diminished responsibility /(US) diminished capacity, it means that something, esp. their mental state, has caused them not to be in full control of their actions.
Because the accused had been under great stress at the time of the crime, he pleaded not guilty on grounds of diminished responsibility.
The law of diminishing returns refers to a situation in which a smaller result is achieved for an increasing amount of effort.
To diminish influence/pressure/suspicions/danger/importance/achevements
to abate – to become less strongб differs from diminish and reduce in its presupposition of something excessivein force, intensity, or amount and in its strong implicationof moderation or, especially when referred to taxes orimposts, of deduction (1) ослабляти (енергію) 2) зменшувати; знижувати 3) робити знижку 4) зменшуватися, заспокоюватися, вщухати 5) анулювати, скасовувати; припиняти)
physically weakened by a stomach disorder that will not abate
The storm/wind/rain has started to abate slightly.
The nurses' concern about cuts in funding for hospitals has not abated.
The fighting in the area shows no sign of abating.
to abate a tax (знизити податок), costs, from (of) the price
the storm has abated — буря стихла
abate the pain — притуплять боль
abate noise
abate pride — умерить гордыню
to abate a writ — аннулировать исковое заявление
to dwindle – to become less in number or smaller, like decrease, implies progressive lessening, but is more oftenapplied to things capable of growing visibly smaller. Itspecifically connotes approach to a vanishing point (зменшуватися, скорочуватися (до – to); вичерпуватися; втрачати значення; погіршуватися, вироджуватися / 1) сокращаться, уменьшаться, убывать, истощаться 2) терять значение; ухудшаться, приходить в упадок; вырождаться 3) сокращать, уменьшать (размеры))
hull down—hull down and under—she dwindles to a speck
to dwindle to nothing — совершенно выродиться / зійти нанівець
The community has dwindled to a tenth of its former size in the last two years.
Her hopes of success in the race dwindled last night as the weather became worse.
To dwindle away/in unbelief; dwindling supplies/resources/money/reserves/interest/attendance