different between decrease vs forlighten

English

Etymology

From Middle English decresen, discresen, from Anglo-Norman, Old French descreistre (French: décroître), from Latin decrescere.

Pronunciation

• (verb) enPR: d?kr?s', IPA^(key): /d??k?i?s/
• (noun) enPR: d?'kr?s, IPA^(key): /?di?k?i?s/
• Rhymes: -i?s

Verb

decrease (third-person singular simple present decreases, present participle decreasing, simple past and past participle decreased)

1. (intransitive) Of a quantity, to become smaller.

2. (transitive) To make (a quantity) smaller.

Synonyms

• (become smaller): drop, fall, go down, plummet (rapidly), plunge (rapidly), reduce, shrink, sink; See also Thesaurus:decrease
• (make smaller): abate, cut, decrement, lower, reduce; See also Thesaurus:diminish

Antonyms

• (become larger): go up, grow, increase, rise, soar (rapidly), shoot up (rapidly); See also Thesaurus:increase
• (make larger): increase, increment, raise, up (informal); See also Thesaurus:augment

Related terms

• decretion
• increase

Translations

Noun

decrease (countable and uncountable, plural decreases)

1. An amount by which a quantity is decreased.

2. (knitting) A reduction in the number of stitches, usually accomplished by suspending the stitch to be decreased from another existing stitch or by knitting it together with another stitch. See Decrease (knitting).

Synonyms

• (amount by which a quantity is decreased): cut, decrement, drop, fall, loss, lowering, reduction, shrinkage

Antonyms

• (amount by which a quantity is decreased): gain, increase, increment, raise (US, of pay), rise

Translations

Anagrams

• deceaser

English

Etymology

From for- +? lighten, but also continuing (in altered form) earlier forlyten (“to diminish”), from for- +? lite +? -en.

Verb

forlighten (third-person singular simple present forlightens, present participle forlightening, simple past and past participle forlightened)

1. (archaic, transitive) To decrease; reduce; diminish; lighten; lighten up.
   • 1892, William Shepard Walsh, Handy-book of literary curiosities:

     For to forlighten with his sheen / Those sitting sad, in darkest blindness, / In death's cold shade.

See also

• forlyten