Decrease and Lose

noun

• A change downward.
  • usage: "there was a decrease in his temperature as the fever subsided"; "there was a sharp drop-off in sales"
  • synonyms: lessening, drop-off
• A process of becoming smaller or shorter.
  • synonyms: decrement
• The amount by which something decreases.
  • synonyms: decrement
• The act of decreasing or reducing something.
  • synonyms: diminution, reduction, step-down

verb

• Decrease in size, extent, or range.
  • usage: "The amount of homework decreased towards the end of the semester"; "The cabin pressure fell dramatically"; "her weight fell to under a hundred pounds"; "his voice fell to a whisper"
  • synonyms: diminish, lessen, fall
• Make smaller.
  • usage: "He decreased his staff"
  • synonyms: lessen, minify

• (v.t.) To cause to grow less; to diminish gradually; as, extravagance decreases one's means.
• (v.) A becoming less; gradual diminution; decay; as, a decrease of revenue or of strength.
• (n.) To grow less, -- opposed to increase; to be diminished gradually, in size, degree, number, duration, etc. or in strength, quality or excellence; as, they days decrease in length from June to December.
• (v.) The wane of the moon.

verb

• Fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense.
  • usage: "She lost her purse when she left it unattended on her seat"
• Fail to win.
  • usage: "We lost the battle but we won the war"
• Suffer the loss of a person through death or removal.
  • usage: "She lost her husband in the war"; "The couple that wanted to adopt the child lost her when the biological parents claimed her"
• Place (something) where one cannot find it again.
  • usage: "I misplaced my eyeglasses"
  • synonyms: misplace, mislay
• Miss from one's possessions; lose sight of.
  • usage: "I've lost my glasses again"
• Allow to go out of sight.
  • usage: "The detective lost the man he was shadowing after he had to stop at a red light"
• Fail to make money in a business; make a loss or fail to profit.
  • usage: "I lost thousands of dollars on that bad investment"; "The company turned a loss after the first year"
  • synonyms: turn a loss
• Fail to get or obtain.
  • usage: "I lost the opportunity to spend a year abroad"
• Retreat.
  • synonyms: fall back, drop off, fall behind, recede
• Fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind.
  • usage: "I missed that remark"; "She missed his point"; "We lost part of what he said"
  • synonyms: miss
• Be set at a disadvantage.
  • usage: "This author really suffers in translation"
  • synonyms: suffer

• (v.t.) To prevent from gaining or obtaining.
• (v.t.) To part with unintentionally or unwillingly, as by accident, misfortune, negligence, penalty, forfeit, etc.; to be deprived of; as, to lose money from one's purse or pocket or in business or gaming; to lose an arm or a leg by amputation; to lose men in battle.
• (v.i.) To suffer loss, disadvantage or defeat; to be worse off, especially as the result of any kind of contest.
• (v.t.) Not to employ; to employ ineffectually; to throw away; to waste; to squander; as, to lose a day; to lose the benefits of instruction.
• (v.t.) To be deprived of the view of; to cease to see or know the whereabouts of; as, he lost his companion in the crowd.
• (v.t.) To cause to part with; to deprive of.
• (v.t.) To wander from; to miss, so as not to be able to and; to go astray from; as, to lose one's way.
• (v.t.) To ruin; to destroy; as destroy; as, the ship was lost on the ledge.
• (v.t.) To cease to have; to possess no longer; to suffer diminution of; as, to lose one's relish for anything; to lose one's health.
• (v.t.) To fail to obtain or enjoy; to fail to gain or win; hence, to fail to catch with the mind or senses; to miss; as, I lost a part of what he said.