# decreasing

Pronunciation: say "di-KREE-sing" /diˈkɹiːsɪŋ/

## Verb

1. Present participle of decrease. — present participle and gerund of decrease
   - Simple: Present participle of decrease. Use this form for something that is getting smaller right now.
   - _Reservoir levels are decreasing as the drought drags on._
   - _Decreasing his work hours gave him more time at home._

## Adjective

2. Growing steadily smaller or less in amount; on the decline.
   - Simple: Getting smaller or less over time.
   - _Economists worried about the decreasing value of the currency._
   - _A decreasing birth rate has reshaped the country's school system._

## Noun

3. In knitting, a point in the work where the number of stitches is reduced.
   - Simple: In knitting, a spot in the work where the number of stitches is made smaller.
   - _Space the decreasings evenly around the yoke so the sweater sits snugly at the neck._
   - _Each decreasing in the pattern narrows the sleeve toward the wrist._

## Origin

Formed from "decrease" with the participial suffix "-ing."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/decreasing (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).