verb B1 Intermediate Very common

reduce

rih-JOOS

Reduce (verb) means to make something smaller in size, amount, or intensity. Example: “The company reduced its workforce by ten percent.”

verb

To make something smaller in size, amount, or intensity.

"The company reduced its workforce by ten percent."

"Try to reduce your sugar intake."

To boil a sauce or liquid down so it becomes thicker and more concentrated.

"Reduce the wine sauce over low heat until it coats the back of a spoon."

To bring a broken bone or dislocated joint back into its correct position.

"The doctor reduced the dislocated shoulder in the emergency room."

To force someone into a lesser or worse state or condition.

"The scandal reduced him to a laughing stock."

How to use reduce

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo make smaller, weaker, or simpler — from cutting costs to thickening a sauce to setting a broken bone.

Common pairings

reduce costs reduce risk reduce the sauce

Word forms

reduced past tense, reduces singular

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The company _____ its workforce by ten percent.

Etymology

From Latin reducere, \"to lead back,\" from re- (\"back\") plus ducere (\"to lead\").

Origin: Latin

Synonyms

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decrease lower lessen diminish cut shrink curtail scale back contract thin concentrate slim

Related words

deal cut share fall lower increase build focus

Rhymes for reduce

luce duce deuce sauce truce Bruce deduce spruce seduce induce produce lettuce

See all rhymes for reduce →

Frequently asked questions

What does “reduce” mean?

The word “reduce” means to make something smaller in size, amount, or intensity. In plain terms, to make smaller, weaker, or simpler — from cutting costs to thickening a sauce to setting a broken bone.

How do you pronounce “reduce”?

“Reduce” is pronounced rih-JOOS (/ɹɪˈd(j)us/ in IPA).

How do you use “reduce” in a sentence?

Here is “reduce” used in a sentence: “The company reduced its workforce by ten percent.”

What part of speech is “reduce”?

“Reduce” is a verb.

Where does the word “reduce” come from?

The word “reduce” comes from Latin. From Latin reducere, \"to lead back,\" from re- (\"back\") plus ducere (\"to lead\").

Is “reduce” a common word?

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

How many meanings does “reduce” have?

“Reduce” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to make something smaller in size, amount, or intensity.

What is the opposite of reduce?

The main opposite is increase — to make something larger in size, amount, or intensity. Other antonyms include raise, expand, boost, and grow. Where reduce shrinks a quantity, these words build it up. Which one fits best depends on context: you raise a price but expand a business.

What is the difference between reduce and minimise?

Both mean making something smaller, but to different degrees. Reduce simply means to lower an amount or intensity by any amount. Minimise means to reduce something as far as possible, to its smallest or least harmful level. You might reduce costs a little, but minimising them means cutting them to the bone.

What does reduce mean in cooking?

In cooking, to reduce a liquid means to simmer or boil it so that water evaporates, leaving a smaller, thicker, more concentrated result. A sauce or stock is 'reduced' to intensify its flavour. It is a specialised use of the general sense — making something smaller in volume.

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