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The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms INTRO ...

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pressure diminishes. <strong>The</strong> need for police patrols was diminished<br />

when we hired security guards. 2 belittle, disparage, degrade,<br />

downgrade, discredit, detract (from), vitiate, debase,<br />

deprecate, demean, derogate, depreciate, vilipend, devalue,<br />

cheapen, put down, dismiss, humiliate, demean, reject: His<br />

abuse by the authorities did not diminish him in her eyes. 3<br />

wane, fade, dwindle, ebb, die out or away, peter out, recede,<br />

subside; slacken, let up, wind down, slow (down), ease (<strong>of</strong>f),<br />

Colloq run out <strong>of</strong> steam: Soaking in the hot water, I felt the<br />

tensions <strong>of</strong> mind and body gradually diminishing. <strong>The</strong> campaign<br />

finally diminished to a negligible effort.<br />

diminutive<br />

adj. small, tiny, little, miniature, petite, minute, minuscule,<br />

mini, compact, undersized, pocket, pocket-sized, pygmy, elfin,<br />

Lilliputian, midget, wee, microscopic; micro, infinitesimal; US<br />

vest-pocket, vest-pocket-sized, Colloq teeny, teeny-weeny or<br />

teensy-weensy: <strong>The</strong> bride and groom appeared with their<br />

diminutive page-boys and bridesmaids behind them.<br />

din n. 1 noise, clamour, uproar, shouting, screaming, yelling,<br />

babel, clangour, clatter, commotion, racket, row, hullabaloo,<br />

hubbub, hurly-burly, rumpus, hollering, blare, blaring, bray,<br />

braying, bellow, bellowing, roar, blast, roaring, pandemonium,<br />

tumult: We couldn't hear the speech above the din <strong>of</strong> the crowd.<br />

--v. 2 instil, drum, hammer: <strong>The</strong> names and dates <strong>of</strong> the<br />

British monarchs were dinned into me in childhood.<br />

dine v. eat, banquet, feast, sup, break bread, breakfast, lunch,<br />

have a bite or snack, nibble, Colloq feed, Slang nosh: We'll<br />

dine at 8.00, so don't be late.<br />

dingy adj. dark, dull, gloomy, dim, lacklustre, faded, discoloured,<br />

dusky, drab, dreary, dismal, cheerless, depressing, gloomy,<br />

shadowy, tenebrous, smoky, sooty, grey-brown, smudgy, grimy,<br />

dirty, soiled: He was a dingy man, in dingy clothes, who lived<br />

in a dingy house.<br />

dip v. 1 immerse, plunge, duck, dunk, douse, bathe, submerge: He<br />

dipped each dish into the soapy water. 2 decline, go down,<br />

fall, descend, sag, sink, subside, slump: <strong>The</strong> road dips after<br />

the next curve. <strong>The</strong> price <strong>of</strong> shares has dipped again. 3 dip in

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