Reduce
verb
Make something or someone smaller in size, amount, or extent.
She reduced her weekly hours of work from 40 to 25.

Often appears as...
- reduce speed
- reduce risk
verb
Simplify a subject or problem.
The issue was reduced to a few simple questions.

Often appears as...
- reduce to essentials
- reduce complexity
verb
Change food or another substance into a simpler form.
The body reduces food to nutrients.

Often appears as...
- reduce to ashes
- reduce to liquid
verb
Diminish gradually.
Over time, his influence in the company was reduced.

Often appears as...
- reduce influence
- reduce impact
verb
Degrade or belittle someone.
She tried to reduce him by making fun of his achievements.

Often appears as...
- reduce dignity
- reduce self-esteem
Usage tips
Disapproving
verb
Make something or someone smaller in size, amount, or extent.
She reduced her weekly hours of work from 40 to 25.

Often appears as...
- reduce speed
- reduce risk
verb
Simplify a subject or problem.
The issue was reduced to a few simple questions.

Often appears as...
- reduce to essentials
- reduce complexity
verb
Change food or another substance into a simpler form.
The body reduces food to nutrients.

Often appears as...
- reduce to ashes
- reduce to liquid
verb
Diminish gradually.
Over time, his influence in the company was reduced.

Often appears as...
- reduce influence
- reduce impact
verb
Degrade or belittle someone.
She tried to reduce him by making fun of his achievements.

Often appears as...
- reduce dignity
- reduce self-esteem
Usage tips
Disapproving
Definition 1 of 5

Physical reduction
Used when talking about decreasing the physical size, amount, or number of tangible items.

To save space, companies reduce packaging sizes.
Quantity over time
Emphasizes a gradual decrease in quantity or intensity over a period of time.

We need to reduce energy consumption gradually.
Not elimination
Reduce means to lessen, not completely eliminate something.

The doctor recommended reducing sugar, not cutting it out entirely.
Physical reduction
Used when talking about decreasing the physical size, amount, or number of tangible items.

To save space, companies reduce packaging sizes.
Quantity over time
Emphasizes a gradual decrease in quantity or intensity over a period of time.

We need to reduce energy consumption gradually.
Not elimination
Reduce means to lessen, not completely eliminate something.

The doctor recommended reducing sugar, not cutting it out entirely.
Physical reduction
Used when talking about decreasing the physical size, amount, or number of tangible items.

To save space, companies reduce packaging sizes.
Quantity over time
Emphasizes a gradual decrease in quantity or intensity over a period of time.

We need to reduce energy consumption gradually.
Not elimination
Reduce means to lessen, not completely eliminate something.

The doctor recommended reducing sugar, not cutting it out entirely.
Video examples
Questions No One Knows...
interacting with each other in a beautiful way, and that that can happen more efficiently at a small scale. So, just as on Earth, clunky stereo systems have shrunk to beautiful, tiny iPods, maybe intelligent life itself, in order to reduce its footprint on the environment, has turned itself microscopic.
Video examples
What is depression? -...
Comparing what they're experiencing to normal, temporary feelings of sadness can make them feel guilty for struggling. Even just talking about depression openly can help. For example, research shows that asking someone about suicidal thoughts actually reduces their suicide risk.
Video examples
How the food you eat...
When bacteria digest fiber, they produce short chain fatty acids that nourish the gut barrier, improve immune function, and can help prevent inflammation, which reduces the risk of cancer. And the more fiber you ingest, the more fiber-digesting bacteria colonize your gut.
Video examples
How does asthma work? -...
So how do we prevent these uncomfortable and potentially fatal attacks in people who have asthma? One way is to reduce the presence of triggers. Unfortunately, the world is an unpredictable place and exposure to triggers can't always be controlled.
Video examples
Bill Gates: The next...
beyond just being ready for the epidemic. The primary healthcare, the R&D, those things would reduce global health equity and make the world more just as well as more safe. So I think this should absolutely be a priority. There's no need to panic.
Video examples
Global Warming 101 PIPE...
learned about global warming many organizations advocate cutting greenhouse gas emissions to reduce the impact of global warming consumers can help by saving energy around the house switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs and driving
Video examples
Should Primates be Kept...
are life long. Luckily they're reducing a lot. We've met quite a few of them. Are there any primates here that, you know, you try to stay away from as much as possible that have maybe issues that are strong, worse than the others?
Video examples
The five major world...
All of life abounds with suffering. It's caused by selfish craving for one's own fulfillment at the expense of others. Following an eight-step plan can teach us to reduce that craving, and thus reduce the suffering.
Video examples
What would happen if you...
and potentially reduce the risk of certain types of cancer. No matter what, getting the right amount of liquid makes a world of difference in how you'll feel, think, and function day to day.
Video examples
Hydrogels as an...
increased value of the crop and the water savings other benefits of hydrogel include it helps reduce topsoil erosion and it allows farmers to use less fertilizer so what's next for the
Video examples
Questions No One Knows...
interacting with each other in a beautiful way, and that that can happen more efficiently at a small scale. So, just as on Earth, clunky stereo systems have shrunk to beautiful, tiny iPods, maybe intelligent life itself, in order to reduce its footprint on the environment, has turned itself microscopic.
Video examples
What is depression? -...
Comparing what they're experiencing to normal, temporary feelings of sadness can make them feel guilty for struggling. Even just talking about depression openly can help. For example, research shows that asking someone about suicidal thoughts actually reduces their suicide risk.
Video examples
How the food you eat...
When bacteria digest fiber, they produce short chain fatty acids that nourish the gut barrier, improve immune function, and can help prevent inflammation, which reduces the risk of cancer. And the more fiber you ingest, the more fiber-digesting bacteria colonize your gut.
Video examples
How does asthma work? -...
So how do we prevent these uncomfortable and potentially fatal attacks in people who have asthma? One way is to reduce the presence of triggers. Unfortunately, the world is an unpredictable place and exposure to triggers can't always be controlled.
Video examples
Bill Gates: The next...
beyond just being ready for the epidemic. The primary healthcare, the R&D, those things would reduce global health equity and make the world more just as well as more safe. So I think this should absolutely be a priority. There's no need to panic.
Video examples
Global Warming 101 PIPE...
learned about global warming many organizations advocate cutting greenhouse gas emissions to reduce the impact of global warming consumers can help by saving energy around the house switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs and driving
Video examples
Should Primates be Kept...
are life long. Luckily they're reducing a lot. We've met quite a few of them. Are there any primates here that, you know, you try to stay away from as much as possible that have maybe issues that are strong, worse than the others?
Video examples
The five major world...
All of life abounds with suffering. It's caused by selfish craving for one's own fulfillment at the expense of others. Following an eight-step plan can teach us to reduce that craving, and thus reduce the suffering.
Video examples
What would happen if you...
and potentially reduce the risk of certain types of cancer. No matter what, getting the right amount of liquid makes a world of difference in how you'll feel, think, and function day to day.
Video examples
Hydrogels as an...
increased value of the crop and the water savings other benefits of hydrogel include it helps reduce topsoil erosion and it allows farmers to use less fertilizer so what's next for the
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Jack Kilby
American Scientist
It's true that the original idea was mine, but what you see today is the work of probably tens of thousands of the world's best engineers, all concentrating on improving the product, reducing the cost, things of that sort.

Quote examples
Yusuf Hamied
Indian Scientist
Reducing the price of AIDS drugs gave me so much satisfaction that I've been thinking what else I could do. One day, I thought, 'Let's look at cancer and see how we can spare cancer patients' unnecessary suffering.

Quote examples
Christian Bale
Welsh Actor
I don't get it when you get so much openness about the way movies are made, and the special effects and the behind-the-scenes stuff and all of that. I can't help but feel like this reduces it a little bit.

Quote examples
Eric Greitens
American Politician
When you have law-abiding citizens who are actively ready to protect themselves and their family, that reduces crime.

Quote examples
Angela Merkel
German Statesman
We have shared responsibility for global climate; we have to reduce climate change below 2 degrees Celsius.

Quote examples
Ian Hacking
Canadian Philosopher
It is so hard to make important decisions that we have a great urge to reduce them to rules.

Quote examples
Ivan Krastev
Public Servant
Living in truth cannot be reduced to having access to full information.

Quote examples
Jawaharlal Nehru
Indian Leader
Without peace, all other dreams vanish and are reduced to ashes.

Quote examples
Dave Reichert
American Politician
I came to Congress to help reduce spending.

Quote examples
Nana Patekar
Indian Actor
Practice helps you reduce your mistakes.

Quote examples
Jack Kilby
American Scientist
It's true that the original idea was mine, but what you see today is the work of probably tens of thousands of the world's best engineers, all concentrating on improving the product, reducing the cost, things of that sort.

Quote examples
Yusuf Hamied
Indian Scientist
Reducing the price of AIDS drugs gave me so much satisfaction that I've been thinking what else I could do. One day, I thought, 'Let's look at cancer and see how we can spare cancer patients' unnecessary suffering.

Quote examples
Christian Bale
Welsh Actor
I don't get it when you get so much openness about the way movies are made, and the special effects and the behind-the-scenes stuff and all of that. I can't help but feel like this reduces it a little bit.

Quote examples
Eric Greitens
American Politician
When you have law-abiding citizens who are actively ready to protect themselves and their family, that reduces crime.

Quote examples
Angela Merkel
German Statesman
We have shared responsibility for global climate; we have to reduce climate change below 2 degrees Celsius.

Quote examples
Ian Hacking
Canadian Philosopher
It is so hard to make important decisions that we have a great urge to reduce them to rules.

Quote examples
Ivan Krastev
Public Servant
Living in truth cannot be reduced to having access to full information.

Quote examples
Jawaharlal Nehru
Indian Leader
Without peace, all other dreams vanish and are reduced to ashes.

Quote examples
Dave Reichert
American Politician
I came to Congress to help reduce spending.

Quote examples
Nana Patekar
Indian Actor
Practice helps you reduce your mistakes.

Example 1 of 10
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