Translation guide
The English verb "diminish" covers several related ideas: becoming smaller or less, making something smaller or less, and causing something to seem less important. Japanese uses different words and patterns for these meanings, and often distinguishes between intransitive (something diminishes) and transitive (someone diminishes something).
To describe something decreasing in size, intensity, amount, or importance on its own.
General intransitive verb for a quantity, number, or amount decreasing. Very common.
人口が減っている。
The population is diminishing.
My savings diminished rapidly.
Literally "become small". Used for physical size or scale diminishing.
The car diminished in the distance.
Intransitive verb for intensity, strength, or power weakening or diminishing.
The wind gradually diminished.
The pain diminished.
Formal/slightly technical intransitive verb for a decline in quality, ability, or level.
My concentration diminished.
Intransitive verb for a gradual decline in power, health, or vitality. Often used for people or institutions.
His physical strength began to diminish.
To describe someone or something causing a decrease in size, intensity, amount, or importance.
General transitive verb for reducing a quantity, number, or amount. Very common.
We need to diminish expenses.
I diminished the amount of sugar.
Literally "make small". Used for physically reducing size.
Please diminish the image size.
Transitive verb for weakening intensity, strength, or power.
Formal transitive verb for causing a decline in quality, ability, or level.
To belittle, downplay, or reduce the perceived worth of something.
To underestimate or undervalue; to diminish the importance of something.
Don't diminish his contribution.
To make light of, disregard, or treat as unimportant.
We must not diminish the importance of that issue.
To disparage or belittle, often with malice. Stronger and more literary.
Specialized uses in economics, law, or technical fields.
Japanese often distinguishes between something diminishing on its own (減る) and someone actively diminishing something (減らす). Using the wrong one is a common mistake.
While 小さくなる works for physical size, using it for abstract concepts like "hope diminished" sounds unnatural. Use 希望が薄れた (きぼうがうすれた) or 希望が消えた (きぼうがきえた) instead.
His influence has diminished over the years.
The pain diminished after taking the medicine.
和らぐ (やわらぐ) is a natural alternative for pain or feelings subsiding.
Nothing could diminish her enthusiasm.
そぐ is often used with 勢い (momentum) or 熱意 (enthusiasm).
彼は声を弱めた。
He diminished his voice.
The policy diminished the standard of living.
He always tries to diminish other people's achievements.
He pleaded diminished responsibility.