minimize

The word “minimize” means to reduce something to the smallest possible amount or size. In plain terms, to make something as small as possible, or to make it seem less important than it really is.

“Minimize” is pronounced MIHN-ih-myz (/ˈmɪn.ɪˌmaɪz/ in IPA).

Here is “minimize” used in a sentence: “The company took steps to minimize its environmental impact.”

“Minimize” is a verb.

The word “minimize” comes from Latin. From Latin minimus, "smallest," plus the verb-forming suffix "-ize.".

“Minimize” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Minimize” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to reduce something to the smallest possible amount or size.

Reduce simply means to make something smaller or less in amount, while minimize means to reduce something to the smallest possible amount or size, implying an extreme or optimal endpoint. Minimize carries a sense of pushing the reduction as far as it can go.

To minimize a window means to shrink it down to an icon on the taskbar so it is out of view but still running in the background. This is different from closing a program, since a minimized window can be reopened instantly.

Yes, when applied to feelings or problems, minimize means to downplay or treat something as less important than it actually is, as in "don't minimize her concerns." This figurative sense is distinct from the literal uses of reducing a quantity or shrinking a window.