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Diminish vs Underestimate - What's the difference?

diminish | underestimate |

In lang=en terms the difference between diminish and underestimate

is that diminish is to disappear gradually while underestimate is to perceive (someone or something) as having a lower value, quantity, worth, etc, than what he/she/it actually has.

As verbs the difference between diminish and underestimate

is that diminish is to make smaller while underestimate is to perceive (someone or something) as having a lower value, quantity, worth, etc, than what he/she/it actually has.

As a noun underestimate is

an estimate or perception that is too low.

diminish

English

Verb

(es)
  • To make smaller.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2012-12-14
  • , author=Simon Jenkins, authorlink=Simon Jenkins, volume=188, issue=2, page=23 , date=2012-12-21, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= We mustn't overreact to North Korea boys' toys , passage=The threat of terrorism to the British lies in the overreaction to it of British governments. Each one in turn clicks up the ratchet of surveillance, intrusion and security. Each one diminishes liberty.}}
  • To become smaller.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-20, volume=408, issue=8845, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= Old soldiers? , passage=Whether modern, industrial man is less or more warlike than his hunter-gatherer ancestors is impossible to determine.
  • To lessen the authority or dignity of; to put down; to degrade; to abase; to weaken.
  • * Robynson (More's Utopia)
  • This doth nothing diminish their opinion.
  • * Bible, Ezekiel xxix. 15
  • I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations.
  • * Milton
  • O thou at whose sight all the stars / Hide their diminished heads.
  • To taper.
  • To disappear gradually.
  • To take away; to subtract.
  • * Bible, Deuteronomy iv. 2
  • Neither shall ye diminish aught from it.
  • (music) To reduce a perfect or minor interval by a semitone.
  • Derived terms

    * law of diminishing returns

    underestimate

    English

    Verb

    (underestimat)
  • To perceive (someone or something) as having a lower value, quantity, worth, etc., than what he/she/it actually has.
  • Synonyms

    * misunderestimate * misjudge

    Antonyms

    * (to perceive as having lower value) overestimate

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An estimate or perception that is too low.
  • Synonyms

    * underestimation