reduce - Definition | Dictionary definition of reduce

Definition of reduce

Verbs

cut down on; make a reduction in

"reduce your daily fat intake"

Synonyms:: bring down, cut, cut back, cut down, trim, trim back, trim down

Types:: show 20 types...; hide 20 types...; shorten
make shorter than originally intended; reduce or retrench in length or duration; foreshorten
shorten lines in a drawing so as to create an illusion of depth; clip, curtail, cut short
terminate or abbreviate before its intended or proper end or its full extent; syncopate
omit a sound or letter in a word; cut short, truncate
make shorter as if by cutting off; spill
reduce the pressure of wind on (a sail); quench
reduce the degree of (luminescence or phosphorescence) in (excited molecules or a material) by adding a suitable substance; retrench
make a reduction, as in one's workforce; slash
cut drastically; thin out
make sparse; clip, crop, cut back, dress, lop, prune, snip, trim
cultivate, tend, and cut back the growth of; thin
make thin or thinner; draw
reduce the diameter of (a wire or metal rod) by pulling it through a die; detract, take away
take away a part from; diminish; deflate
reduce or cut back the amount or availability of, creating a decline in value or prices; inflate
increase the amount or availability of, creating a rise in value; downsize
reduce in size or number; subtract
take off or away; knock off, shave
cut the price of; mark down
reduce the price of

Type of:: decrease, lessen, minify
make smaller

make less complex

"reduce a problem to a single question"

Types:: abbreviate
shorten

Type of:: simplify
make simpler or easier or reduce in complexity or extent

bring to humbler or weaker state or condition

"He reduced the population to slavery"

Type of:: break, bump, demote, kick downstairs, relegate
assign to a lower position; reduce in rank

simplify the form of a mathematical equation of expression by substituting one term for another

Type of:: exchange, interchange, replace, substitute
put in the place of another; switch seemingly equivalent items

lower in grade or rank or force somebody into an undignified situation

"She reduced her niece to a servant"

Type of:: degrade, demean, disgrace, put down, take down
reduce in worth or character, usually verbally

be the essential element

Synonyms:: boil down, come down

Type of:: become, turn
undergo a change or development

reduce in size; reduce physically

Synonyms:: shrink

Types:: show 7 types...; hide 7 types...; reduce, scale down
make smaller; reef
reduce (a sail) by taking in a reef; miniaturise, miniaturize
design or construct on a smaller scale; depopulate, desolate
reduce in population; downsize
make in a smaller size; contract
make smaller; purse, wrinkle
gather or contract into wrinkles or folds; pucker

Type of:: decrease, lessen, minify
make smaller

lessen and make more modest

"reduce one's standard of living"

Type of:: impoverish
make poor

make smaller

"reduce an image"

Synonyms:: scale down

Antonyms:: blow up
make large; enlarge, magnify; show more antonyms...

Type of:: reduce, shrink
reduce in size; reduce physically

to remove oxygen from a compound, or cause to react with hydrogen or form a hydride, or to undergo an increase in the number of electrons

Synonyms:: deoxidise, deoxidize

Antonyms:: oxidize
add oxygen to or combine with oxygen; oxidate, oxidise; rust
become coated with oxide; oxidise
add oxygen to or combine with oxygen; show more antonyms...

Types:: benficiate
subject to a reduction process; pole
deoxidize molten metals by stirring them with a wooden pole

Type of:: change
undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature

narrow or limit

"reduce the influx of foreigners"

Synonyms:: tighten

Type of:: bound, confine, limit, restrain, restrict, throttle, trammel
place limits on (extent or access)

put down by force or intimidation

Synonyms:: keep down, quash, repress, subdue, subjugate

Type of:: crush, oppress, suppress
come down on or keep down by unjust use of one's authority

undergo meiosis

"The cells reduce"

Type of:: divide, part, separate
come apart

reposition (a broken bone after surgery) back to its normal site

Type of:: reposition
place into another position

destress and thus weaken a sound when pronouncing it

Types:: obscure
reduce a vowel to a neutral one, such as a schwa

Type of:: de-emphasise, de-emphasize, destress
reduce the emphasis

reduce in scope while retaining essential elements

Synonyms:: abbreviate, abridge, contract, cut, foreshorten, shorten; edit, edit out
cut and assemble the components of

Antonyms:: expand
add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing; dilate, elaborate, enlarge, expatiate, exposit, expound, flesh out, lucubrate; show more antonyms...