Englishfor English speakers
diminish
Verb
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When something diminishes it gets smaller or less important or makes something that way.
The way you talked just now diminished my respect for you.
The amount of water in the lake is diminishing because there has been no rain.
the
Determiner
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Used, instead of a, to reference something specific, already known to exist.
Compare "I read a book." and "I read the book."
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Used with a stress, to show that the word following is special.
Are you the John Smith that I went to school with?
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Used with an adjective that acts like a noun to mean all of the people concerned
The poor are always with us.
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Used with superlatives forms of adjectives and adverbs.
You are the best.
ability
Noun
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An ability is something that you can do.
I have a very good reading ability.