frequently_asked_questions_files/Oxford Thesaurus.pdf

pressure diminishes. The need for police patrols was diminished
when we hired security guards. 2 belittle, disparage, degrade,
downgrade, discredit, detract (from), vitiate, debase,
deprecate, demean, derogate, depreciate, vilipend, devalue,
cheapen, put down, dismiss, humiliate, demean, reject: His
abuse by the authorities did not diminish him in her eyes. 3
wane, fade, dwindle, ebb, die out or away, peter out, recede,
subside; slacken, let up, wind down, slow (down), ease (off),
Colloq run out of steam: Soaking in the hot water, I felt the
tensions of mind and body gradually diminishing. The campaign
finally diminished to a negligible effort.
diminutive
adj. small, tiny, little, miniature, petite, minute, minuscule,
mini, compact, undersized, pocket, pocket-sized, pygmy, elfin,
Lilliputian, midget, wee, microscopic; micro, infinitesimal; US
vest-pocket, vest-pocket-sized, Colloq teeny, teeny-weeny or
teensy-weensy: The bride and groom appeared with their
diminutive page-boys and bridesmaids behind them.
din n. 1 noise, clamour, uproar, shouting, screaming, yelling,
babel, clangour, clatter, commotion, racket, row, hullabaloo,
hubbub, hurly-burly, rumpus, hollering, blare, blaring, bray,
braying, bellow, bellowing, roar, blast, roaring, pandemonium,
tumult: We couldn't hear the speech above the din of the crowd.
--v. 2 instil, drum, hammer: The names and dates of the
British monarchs were dinned into me in childhood.
dine v. eat, banquet, feast, sup, break bread, breakfast, lunch,
have a bite or snack, nibble, Colloq feed, Slang nosh: We'll
dine at 8.00, so don't be late.
dingy adj. dark, dull, gloomy, dim, lacklustre, faded, discoloured,
dusky, drab, dreary, dismal, cheerless, depressing, gloomy,
shadowy, tenebrous, smoky, sooty, grey-brown, smudgy, grimy,
dirty, soiled: He was a dingy man, in dingy clothes, who lived
in a dingy house.
dip v. 1 immerse, plunge, duck, dunk, douse, bathe, submerge: He
dipped each dish into the soapy water. 2 decline, go down,
fall, descend, sag, sink, subside, slump: The road dips after
the next curve. The price of shares has dipped again. 3 dip in