Dilute: meaning, definitions and examples

When you want to reduce the strength or concentration of a liquid by adding more liquid, usually water.

• She diluted the orange juice with water to make it less sweet

Used when you want to make something less strong or powerful. This can apply to both physical strength and situations where influence or potency is reduced.

• The medicine weakened his immune system
• They tried to weaken the opponent’s argument by pointing out inconsistencies

Best used when you want to make a liquid or substance less dense. This can also apply to making something less crowded or less thick in number.

• He had to thin out the soup by adding more broth
• The gardener thinned out the plants to give them more room to grow

Often used when implying that something is being made less effective or less potent, usually seen as negative.

• The critics said that the director watered down the original story, making it less impactful
• She felt that the speech was watered down to avoid controversy

Use when you are talking about making a liquid less concentrated by adding more liquid to it. It can also be used metaphorically to describe making something less strong or effective.

• Please dilute the juice with some water.
• Adding more members to the team might dilute the original vision.

Appropriate for discussing a reduction in strength or power of something, either physically, emotionally, or structurally. It can carry a negative connotation.

• The bridge's structure began to weaken over the years.
• The long illness weakened his immune system.

This word is suitable for describing a reduction in size, importance, or intensity of something. It can be neutral or slightly negative.

• Over time, the importance of the event started to diminish.
• His health began to diminish after the accident.

Employ this word in situations where you are referring to reducing the worth or importance of something. It often has a negative connotation.

• Inflation can devalue the country's currency.
• Don't devalue her contributions; they are very important.