Cool MateBring it down vs Decrease vs Diminish vs Lower
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Bring it down
Decrease
Diminish
Lower
| Bring it down | Decrease | Diminish | Lower | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //brɪŋ ɪt daʊn//🇺🇸 //brɪŋ ɪt daʊn// | 🇬🇧 //dɪˈkriːs//🇺🇸 //dɪˈkriːs// | 🇬🇧 //dɪˈmɪn.ɪʃ//🇺🇸 //dɪˈmɪn.ɪʃ// | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈləʊə(r)/","/ˈləʊəz/","/ˈləʊəd/","/ˈləʊərɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈləʊər/","/ˈləʊərz/","/ˈləʊərd/","/ˈləʊərɪŋ/"]/ |
| Meaning | To lower something, usually in volume or intensity. | To make something smaller or lower. | To make something smaller or less important. | to make something less high or to decrease it |
| Example | Could you bring it down a little? It's too loud. | The government plans to decrease taxes next year. | The new law will help diminish traffic congestion in the city. | The manager decided to lower the prices to attract more customers. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 3,000 (common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | - | B2 | C1 | B2 |
| Part of speech | verb | verb | verb | |
| Collocations | bring it down a notch, bring the volume down, bring it down to earth | decrease in size, decrease in temperature, significantly decrease, gradually decrease, decrease the risk | diminish returns, diminish the impact, diminish concerns | carefully, gently, gradually, into, onto, to, carefully, gently, gradually, into, onto, to |
| Antonyms | - | increase, rise, augment | increase, augment, amplify | raise, increase, elevate |
| Common mistakes | Using 'bring down' without 'it' in informal contexts., Confusing with 'take down' which often refers to removing something rather than lowering it., Forgetting to specify what to bring down. | Confusing 'decrease' with 'increase'., Using 'decrease' without an object, e.g. 'decrease' must have something to decrease., Incorrectly conjugating the verb in different tenses. | Confused with 'diminutive', which means small in size., Incorrectly used in passive voice; diminish does not typically take a passive form., Mixing up with 'eliminate', which means to completely remove. | Confused with 'lowered' when describing past actions., Incorrectly using 'lower' as an adjective instead of a verb., Mistaking 'lower' for 'less' in some contexts. |
| Usage notes | Use 'bring it down' when referring to lowering volume or intensity. Usually informal but appropriate in most contexts. Avoid in very formal writing. | Use 'decrease' in formal and neutral contexts to describe reductions, such as in appetite or temperature. | Used in both formal and informal contexts. Often describes reduction in size, quality, or importance. | Use 'lower' when referring to reducing something physically or metaphorically. It’s appropriate in most contexts, but avoid using it in overly formal writing. |
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Frequently asked questions: Bring it down vs Decrease vs Diminish vs Lower
What's the difference between Bring it down, Decrease, Diminish, and Lower?
Bring it down: To lower something, usually in volume or intensity. Decrease: To make something smaller or lower. Diminish: To make something smaller or less important. Lower: to make something less high or to decrease it
Which is more common: Bring it down, Decrease, Diminish, and Lower?
Lower is the most common in everyday English.
Which is more advanced: Bring it down, Decrease, Diminish, and Lower?
Diminish is the highest level, at C1, on the CEFR scale.
Can you show an example of each?
Bring it down: Could you bring it down a little? It's too loud. Decrease: The government plans to decrease taxes next year. Diminish: The new law will help diminish traffic congestion in the city. Lower: The manager decided to lower the prices to attract more customers.
Can I use Bring it down, Decrease, Diminish, and Lower interchangeably?
Not always. Bring it down, Decrease, Diminish, and Lower are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.