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Decrease vs Descent - What's the difference?

decrease | descent |

As nouns the difference between decrease and descent

is that decrease is an amount by which a quantity is decreased while descent is an instance of descending.

As a verb decrease

is of a quantity, to become smaller.

decrease

English

Verb

(decreas)
  • Of a quantity, to become smaller.
  • To make (a quantity) smaller.
  • Synonyms

    * (become smaller) drop, fall, go down, plummet (rapidly), plunge (rapidly), reduce, shrink, sink * (make smaller) abate, cut, decrement, lower, reduce

    Antonyms

    * (become larger) go up, grow, increase, rise, soar (rapidly), shoot up (rapidly) * (make larger) increase, increment, raise, up (informal)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An amount by which a quantity is decreased.
  • (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 .
  • 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 , rise

    descent

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An instance of descending
  • We climbed the mountain with difficulty, but the descent was easier.
  • * 2012 , July 15. Richard Williams in Guardian Unlimited, Tour de France 2012: Carpet tacks cannot force Bradley Wiggins off track
  • The next one surrendered his bike, only for that, too, to give him a second flat as he started the descent .
  • A way down.
  • We had difficulty in finding the correct descent .
  • A sloping passage or incline.
  • The descent into the cavern was wet and slippery.
  • Lineage or hereditary derivation
  • Our guide was of Welsh descent .
  • A drop to a lower status or condition.
  • After that, the holiday went into a steep descent .

    Usage notes

    * Sometimes confused with (decent).

    Antonyms

    * (going down) ascent

    Anagrams

    *