Diminished (Adjective)
Meaning 1
(of an organ or body part) diminished in size or strength as a result of disease or injury or lack of use; "partial paralysis resulted in an atrophied left arm".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- Muscle mass is diminished in individuals who are bedridden for an extended period of time.
- The patient's diminished lung capacity made it difficult for her to perform strenuous physical activities.
- After a severe injury, his diminished muscle strength required him to undergo physical therapy to regain mobility.
- Inadequate nutrition can lead to diminished bone density, particularly in older adults.
- The person's diminished vision made it challenging to read and perform daily tasks without assistance.
Synonyms
Meaning 2
Impaired by diminution.
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The patient's sense of smell was diminished due to the head injury.
- Her diminished hearing made it difficult for her to follow conversations.
- The company's diminished profits led to a reduction in staff.
- The athlete's diminished speed and agility made her less competitive.
- The city's diminished water supply forced residents to ration their usage.
Synonyms
Meaning 3
(of musical intervals) reduction by a semitone of any perfect or minor musical interval; "a diminished fifth".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The sound of the diminished seventh interval creates a sense of tension in the chord progression.
- In jazz music, the diminished chord is often used to add color and interest to a harmonic sequence.
- The guitarist carefully adjusted the frets to produce a diminished fifth, giving the riff a distinctive sound.
- The diminished third in the melody added a touch of melancholy to the overall mood of the song.
- By incorporating a diminished octave, the composer created a sense of drama and release in the final cadence.
Meaning 4
Made to seem smaller or less (especially in worth); "her comments made me feel small".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- Her boastful remarks about her own success only diminished my confidence in mine.
- The rainy weather outside seemed to have diminished the tourists' enthusiasm for visiting the local attractions.
- After a string of poor performances, the once-star athlete's diminished reputation led to her eventual retirement.
- Her lavish spending habits and crippling debt diminished the sense of freedom and independence she had always sought.
- Years of failed promises and unmet expectations had diminished the voters' trust in their government leaders.