- decrease
- {{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}} nounADJECTIVE▪ dramatic, drastic, great, large, marked, sharp, significant, substantial▪
There has been a sharp decrease in pollution since the law was introduced.
▪ modest, slight, small▪ gradual, progressive, steady▪ rapid, sudden▪ corresponding, relative▪Fewer houses are available, but there is no corresponding decrease in demand.
▪ general, overall▪ threefold, tenfold, etc.▪ 5%, 25%, etc.VERB + DECREASE▪ demonstrate, display, exhibit, indicate, reveal, show▪This year's figures show a decrease of 30% on last year.
▪ experience, have, suffer▪It is not uncommon to experience a decrease in confidence after a divorce.
▪ report▪Half the companies in the survey reported a decrease in sales.
▪ cause, lead to, produce, result inPREPOSITION▪ on the decrease▪Marriage is still on the decrease.
▪ decrease from … to …▪a decrease from 62% to just under half
▪ decrease in▪The new treatment led to a huge decrease in the number of deaths.
▪ decrease of▪{{Roman}}II.{{/Roman}}a decrease of 20%
verbADVERB▪ considerably, dramatically, drastically, greatly, markedly, sharply, significantly, substantially▪ slightly, somewhat▪Spending has decreased slightly this year.
▪ rapidly▪ progressively, steadily▪ gradually, slowlyPREPOSITION▪ by▪Crime has decreased by 20%.
▪ from, to▪Average family size has decreased from five to three children.
▪ with▪The number of quarrels among children decreases with age.
PHRASES▪ decrease in number, size, value, etc.▪The heart gradually decreases in size.
Decrease is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑amount, ↑concentration, ↑confidence, ↑consumption, ↑deficit, ↑density, ↑emission, ↑incidence, ↑length, ↑level, ↑mortality, ↑output, ↑percentage, ↑population, ↑productivity, ↑proportion, ↑rate, ↑size, ↑speed, ↑value, ↑velocity, ↑volume, ↑widthDecrease is used with these nouns as the object: ↑amount, ↑appetite, ↑blood pressure, ↑chance, ↑concentration, ↑cost, ↑diversity, ↑dosage, ↑duration, ↑effectiveness, ↑efficiency, ↑force, ↑frequency, ↑incidence, ↑intake, ↑intensity, ↑level, ↑likelihood, ↑mortality, ↑number, ↑per cent, ↑point, ↑probability, ↑production, ↑productivity, ↑rate, ↑recurrence, ↑reliance, ↑risk, ↑size, ↑stress, ↑temperature, ↑use, ↑voltage, ↑volume, ↑vulnerability, ↑width
Collocations dictionary. 2013.