decrease, diminish, lessen, reduce, dwindle

名詞 decrease:

1. a change downward
   同義詞：lessening, drop-off
2. a process of becoming smaller or shorter
   同義詞：decrement
3. the amount by which something decreases
   同義詞：decrement
4. the act of decreasing or reducing something
   同義詞：diminution, reduction, step-down

動詞 decrease:

1. decrease in size, extent, or range
   同義詞：diminish, lessen, fall
2. make smaller
   同義詞：lessen, minify

1. There has been a steady decrease in population in this city.
   這個城市的人口在持續(xù)下降。
2. They are making further efforts to decrease military spending.
   他們正在做進一步的努力來減少軍費開支。
3. His interest in this subject gradually decreases.
   他對這門學科的興趣逐漸減退。

de.crease

v.intr.tr.（不及物動詞和及物動詞）
de.creased,de.creas.ing,de.creas.es
To grow or cause to grow gradually less or smaller, as in number, amount, or intensity.
減少：在數目、數量或強度方面逐漸變得或使…變得少或小
n.（名詞）

The act or process of decreasing.
減少：減小、減少的過程
The amount by which something decreases.
減少量，減少額

來源：
Middle English decresen
中古英語 decresen
from Old French decreistre decreiss-
源自 古法語 decreistre decreiss-
from Latin dôcrôscere
源自 拉丁語 dôcrôscere
dô- [de-]
dô- [除去]
crôscere [to grow] * see ker- 2
crôscere [增長] *參見 ker- 2

【引伸】
decreas.ingly
adv.（副詞）
<參考詞匯><同義詞>decrease,lessen,reduce,dwindle,abate,diminish,subsideThese verbs mean to become or cause to become smaller or less.
這些動詞的意義為變得或使…變得小或少。
Decrease and lessen, interchangeable in most contexts, refer to steady or gradual diminution:
Decrease 和 lessen 在大多數上下文中可互換， 指穩(wěn)定或逐步的減少：
例句：
Traffic decreases on holidays.
節(jié)假日行人車輛減少了。

例句：
Lack of success decreases confidence.
失敗使信心漸減。

例句：
Use your seat belt to lessen the danger of injury in an accident.
系上座椅安全帶，減少交通事故中受傷的危險。

例句：
His appetite lessens as his illness progresses.
隨著病情的加重，他的食欲下降了。

Reduce emphasizes bringing down, as in size, degree, or intensity:
Reduce 強調在大小、程度或強度方面下降或減少：
例句：
The workers reduced their wage demands.
工人們降低了他們在工資方面的要求。

Dwindle suggests decreasing bit by bit to a vanishing point:
Dwindle 含有一點一點減少直到消失的意思：
例句：
Their savings dwindled away.
他們的積蓄一點點地消耗殆盡了。

Abate stresses a decrease in amount or intensity and suggests a reduction of excess:
Abate 強調在數量或強度方面減少，含有去除多余的數量的意思：
例句：
Toward evening the fire began to abate.
快到傍晚的時候，火勢減弱了。

例句：
Nothing can abate the force of that argument.
什么也不能減弱那場辯論的影響力。

Diminish implies taking away or removal:
Diminish 含有拿走或除去的意思：
例句：
An occasional outburst didn`t diminish my respect for her.
偶爾的一次發(fā)火并未減少我對她的尊敬。

例句：
The warden`s authority diminished after the revolt.
典獄長的權威在動亂后下降了。

Subside implies a falling away to a more normal level:
Subside 含有降到一個更正常的水平的意思：
例句：
The wild enthusiasm the team`s victory aroused did not subside.
那支球隊的勝利所激起的狂熱之情沒有消退