different between lower vs increase

English

Etymology 1

low +? -er (comparative suffix)

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?l???/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?lo??/
• Rhymes: -???(r)
• Rhymes: -a?.?(?)

Adjective

lower

1. comparative form of low: more low
2. bottom; more towards the bottom than the middle of an object
3. Situated on lower ground, nearer a coast, or more southerly.

4. (geology, of strata or geological time periods) older

Antonyms

• (more low): higher
• (bottom): upper
• (older): upper

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

lower

1. comparative form of low: more low

Verb

lower (third-person singular simple present lowers, present participle lowering, simple past and past participle lowered)

1. (transitive) To let descend by its own weight, as something suspended; to let down

   lower a bucket into a well

   to lower a sail of a boat

2. (transitive) to pull down

   to lower a flag

   • 1833 (first publication), Alfred Tennyson, A Dream of Fair Women

     Lower'd softly with a threefold cord of love
     Down to a silent grave.

3. (transitive) To reduce the height of

   lower a fence or wall

   lower a chimney or turret

4. (transitive) To depress as to direction

   lower the aim of a gun

5. (transitive) To make less elevated

   to lower one's ambition, aspirations, or hopes

6. (transitive) To reduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of

   lower the temperature

   lower one's vitality

   lower distilled liquors

7. (transitive) To bring down; to humble

   lower one's pride

8. (reflexive) (lower oneself) To humble oneself; to do something one considers to be beneath one's dignity.

   I could never lower myself enough to buy second-hand clothes.

9. (transitive) To reduce (something) in value, amount, etc.

   lower the price of goods

   lower the interest rate

10. (intransitive) To fall; to sink; to grow less; to diminish; to decrease

    The river lowered as rapidly as it rose.

11. (intransitive) To decrease in value, amount, etc.

Synonyms

• (let (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail): bring down
• (reduce the height of, as a fence or chimney): shorten
• (depress as to direction, as a gun):
• (make less elevated as to object, as ambitions or hopes): reduce
• (reduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of, as temperature): reduce, turn down
• (transitive: to humble):
• (reflexive: to humble oneself): be humble
• (reduce (something) in value, amount, etc): cut, reduce
• (intransitive: grow less): die off, drop, fall, fall off, shrink
• (intransitive: decrease in value): become/get smaller, become/get lower, lessen, reduce

Derived terms

• lower the boom
• lower the tone

Translations

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?la??/, /?la?.?/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?la??/, /?la?.?/

Verb

lower (third-person singular simple present lowers, present participle lowering, simple past and past participle lowered)

1. Alternative spelling of lour

Related terms

• loweringly

Anagrams

• owler, rowel

Scanian

Etymology

From Old Norse lágr, from Proto-Germanic *l?gaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [lé???], [l?????]

Adjective

lower m

1. low

English

Alternative forms

• encrease (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English increse, borrowed from Anglo-Norman encreistre, from Latin increscere (“increase”), present active infinitive of incresc?, from in (“in, on”) + cresc? (“grow”).

The verb is from Middle English incresen, encresen.

Pronunciation

• (verb): enPR: ?nkr?s?, IPA^(key): /?n?k?i?s/
• (noun): enPR: ?n?kr?s, IPA^(key): /??nk?i?s/
• Rhymes: -i?s
• Hyphenation: in?crease

Verb

increase (third-person singular simple present increases, present participle increasing, simple past and past participle increased)

1. (intransitive) (of a quantity, etc.) To become larger or greater.

   • The waters increased and bare up the ark.

2. (transitive) To make (a quantity, etc.) larger.
3. To multiply by the production of young; to be fertile, fruitful, or prolific.
   • 1677, Matthew Hale, The Primitive Origination of Mankind, Considered and Examined According to the Light of Nature

     Fishes are infinitely more numerous of increasing than Beasts or Birds, as appears by the numerous Spawn.

4. (astronomy, intransitive) To become more nearly full; to show more of the surface; to wax.

Synonyms

• (become larger): wax, go up, grow, rise, soar (rapidly), shoot up (rapidly); See also Thesaurus:increase
• (make larger): increment, raise, up (informal); See also Thesaurus:augment
• (multiply by production of young): proliferate, propagate, teem
• (to show more of the surface): wax

Antonyms

• (become larger): decrease, drop, fall, go down, plummet (rapidly), plunge (rapidly), reduce, shrink, sink; See also Thesaurus:decrease
• (make larger): cut, decrease, decrement, lower, reduce; See also Thesaurus:diminish
• (multiply by production of young):
• (to show more of the surface): wane

Derived terms

• increasable
• Increase

Translations

Noun

increase (countable and uncountable, plural increases)

1. An amount by which a quantity is increased.
   • 2018, VOA Learning English > China's Melting Glacier Brings Visitors, Adds to Climate Concerns

     She says an increase in melting from climate change may put that at risk.

2. For a quantity, the act or process of becoming larger
3. Offspring, progeny
4. (knitting) The creation of one or more new stitches; see Increase (knitting).

Synonyms

• (amount by which a quantity is increased): gain, increment, raise (US, said of pay), rise; See also Thesaurus:adjunct or Thesaurus:acquisition
• (act or process of becoming larger): enlargement, expansion; See also Thesaurus:augmentation

Antonyms

• (amount by which a quantity is increased): cut, decrease, decrement, drop, fall, loss, lowering, reduction, shrinkage; See also Thesaurus:decrement
• (act or process of becoming larger): decline, decrease, diminishment; See also Thesaurus:diminution

Translations

Further reading

• increase in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• increase in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• increase at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• Cairenes, Ceresian, cerasine, resiance