Cool MateBring it down vs Decrease vs Diminish vs Reduce
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Bring it down
Decrease
Diminish
Reduce
| Bring it down | Decrease | Diminish | Reduce | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //brɪŋ ɪt daʊn//🇺🇸 //brɪŋ ɪt daʊn// | 🇬🇧 //dɪˈkriːs//🇺🇸 //dɪˈkriːs// | 🇬🇧 //dɪˈmɪn.ɪʃ//🇺🇸 //dɪˈmɪn.ɪʃ// | 🇬🇧 /["/rɪˈdjuːs/","/rɪˈdjuːsɪz/","/rɪˈdjuːst/","/rɪˈdjuːsɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/rɪˈduːs/","/rɪˈduːsɪz/","/rɪˈduːst/","/rɪˈduːsɪŋ/"]/ |
| Meaning | To lower something, usually in volume or intensity. | To make something smaller or lower. | To make something smaller or less important. | Make something smaller in amount, size, or degree. |
| 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 company plans to reduce its carbon footprint by using more sustainable materials. |
| 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 | A2 |
| 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 | considerably, dramatically, drastically, aim to, attempt to, seek to, by, in, from, an attempt to reduce something, an effort to reduce something, measures to reduce something |
| Antonyms | - | increase, rise, augment | increase, augment, amplify | increase, expand, enlarge |
| 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 'deduce' which means to conclude or infer., Using 'reduce' without an object (e.g. 'reduce it' instead of directly stating what to reduce)., Mistaking 'reduce' for 'reduction' in sentences. |
| 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 'reduce' when talking about making something smaller or less in quantity. It can be used formally in reports or informally in everyday conversation. Avoid using it in contexts where the increase is intended. |
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Frequently asked questions: Bring it down vs Decrease vs Diminish vs Reduce
What's the difference between Bring it down, Decrease, Diminish, and Reduce?
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. Reduce: Make something smaller in amount, size, or degree.
Which is more common: Bring it down, Decrease, Diminish, and Reduce?
Reduce is the most common in everyday English.
Which is more advanced: Bring it down, Decrease, Diminish, and Reduce?
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. Reduce: The company plans to reduce its carbon footprint by using more sustainable materials.
Can I use Bring it down, Decrease, Diminish, and Reduce interchangeably?
Not always. Bring it down, Decrease, Diminish, and Reduce 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.