increase/decrease

Từ điển Oxford Learners Wordfinder Dictionary

1 becoming more
2 becoming less
quantities HOW MUCH/MANY
getting bigger/smaller in size BIG/SMALL
changes in the price of sth PRICE

1 becoming more
- to become more in quantity, importance, etc: go* up, increase, rise*, grow*, (informal) be on the increase
The number of students has gone up/increased over the last year. ◎ Her work has increased in importance. ◎ Prices have risen again. ◎ The number of people with jobs has grown over the last two months. ◎ The power of the tabloid press continues to grow. ◎ Crime is on the increase.
- to cause sth to become more: increase sth, raise sth
ways to increase food production ◎ They have promised not to raise taxes this year.
- a situation in which sth increases: increase (in sth) (noun C/U), rise (in sth), growth (in sth) (noun C/U)
a pay increase ◎ a sudden/sharp increase in the number of burglaries in this area ◎ a pay rise ◎ a steady rise in the number of cases of stomach cancer ◎ economic growth
- becoming more: increasing, rising, growing
An increasing number of people are buying their own homes. ◎ rising taxes ◎ growing prosperity
- more (and continuing to become more): more and more
More and more people are cycling to work.
- (used about the range or degree of sth) to become more and continue to become more: become*/get* more and more
People are becoming more and more aware of environmental issues.
- to become two/three times as much or as many: double/treble; to make sth two/three times as much or as many: double/treble sth
Those plants seem to have doubled in size since I last saw them. ◎ They've doubled the number of jobs over the past year.
- to make sth the largest possible amount: maximize sth
We've maximized our profits this year.
※—† increasing slowly
- to gradually become more: build* up, pile up, mount up; noun: build-up (of sth)
These problems have been gradually building up over the last few years. ◎ My work has been piling up over the last few weeks. ◎ We don't spend very much but it all mounts up. ◎ a gradual build-up of tension
- to cause sth to gradually become more: build* sth up
I'm gradually building up my collection of books.
※—† increasing quickly
- to increase very quickly: shoot* up, leap* up, jump; noun: jump (in sth)
University enrolments have shot up in the last ten years. ◎ a huge jump in the number of tourists
- a sudden increase in (mainly economic) value or activity: boom
a boom in sales ◎ the property boom of the 1980s
※—† adding sth
- to put sth together with sth else so that you increase the quantity, value, etc: add sth (to sth)
Can you add this to my bill?
- a thing which is added: extra, addition; adjectives: extra, additional
I bought all the food on the list, plus a few extras just in case. ◎ This dress will make a nice addition to my wardrobe. ◎ additional costs
- to add sth to sth to make it more or complete: supplement sth (by/with sth); a thing that is added to sth to make it complete: supplement; adjective: supplementary
I have to supplement my income by working extra hours. ◎ vitamin supplements to improve your diet ◎ a supplementary charge

2 becoming less
- to become less in quantity, importance, etc: go* down, decrease, shrink*, (formal) decline
Air pollution has decreased/gone down by 10%. ◎ The number of workers in the steel industry is decreasing. ◎ Their share in the market has shrunk recently. ◎ His influence in public affairs has declined.
- to cause sth to become less: reduce sth, decrease sth
Exercise reduces the risk of heart disease. ◎ to reduce/decrease sth in size
- to slowly become less strong, less important, etc: lessen
The floods have not lessened; they've got worse.
- to have less of sth: lose* sth; noun: loss
She seems to have lost interest in food recently. ◎ to lose business/sales ◎ Have you lost weight? ◎ The company made huge losses last year.
- to use less of sth: cut* down on sth
I'm cutting down on cigarettes.
- to reduce sth by half: halve sth
to halve the price of sth
- to make sth the smallest or lowest amount possible: minimize sth
an attempt to minimize costs
- a situation in which sth decreases: decrease (in sth) (noun C/U), reduction (in sth) (noun C/U), (formal) decline (in sth) (noun C/U)
a decrease in size ◎ a small reduction in price ◎ There has been a decline in the number of young people starting to smoke. ◎ a sharp/gradual decline in sales
- becoming less: decreasing, declining
the decreasing number of people who smoke ◎ the rapidly declining birth rate ◎ declining standards
- less (and continuing to become less): (with uncountable nouns) less and less, (with countable nouns) fewer and fewer
We're finding less and less gold each year. ◎ Each year, fewer and fewer people are going to classical concerts.
- (used about the range and degree of sth) to become less and continue to become less: become*/get* less and less
Smoking is becoming less and less acceptable.
※—† decreasing quickly
- (used about prices, trade, etc) to decrease quickly: slump, collapse; nouns: slump, collapse
Share prices have collapsed. ◎ a slump in the housing market
※—† decreasing slowly
- to decrease slowly over a period of time: drop off
The number of people leaving school at sixteen has dropped off over the past year.
- (used especially about pain, noise, activity, etc) to decrease slowly: die down, ease (off)
The traffic dies down once the rush hour is over. ◎ The work gradually eased off towards the end of the day. ◎ The pain is easing off a bit.