reduce

verb

1. 减少，缩小（尺寸、数量、价格等）
   to make sth less or smaller in size, quantity, price, etc.
   1. Reduce speed now (= on a sign) .
      减速行驶。
   2. Costs have been reduced by 20% over the past year.
      过去一年，各项费用已经减少了20%。
   3. Giving up smoking reduces the risk of heart disease.
      戒烟会减少得心脏病的风险。
   4. The number of employees was reduced from 40 to 25.
      雇员人数从40人减少到了25人。
   5. The skirt was reduced to £10 in the sale.
      在大减价期间，这条裙子减价到10英镑。
2. （使）蒸发
   if you reduce a liquid or a liquid reduces , you boil it so that it becomes less in quantity
3. 减轻体重；节食
   to lose weight by limiting the amount and type of food that you eat
   1. a reducing plan
      节食计划
4. 使还原
   to add one or more electrons to a substance or to remove oxygen from a substance

1. VERB 减少；减小；减轻
   If you reduce something, you make it smaller in size or amount, or less in degree.
   1. It reduces the risks of heart disease...
      这降低了患心脏病的风险。
   2. Consumption is being reduced by 25 per cent...
      消费下降了25个百分点。
   3. The reduced consumer demand is also affecting company profits.
      消费需求的降低也影响到了公司的利润。
2. VERB 使沦为，使陷入（不好的境地）
   If someone is reduced to a weaker or inferior state, they become weaker or inferior as a result of something that happens to them.
   1. They were reduced to extreme poverty...
      他们陷入极端贫困的状态。
   2. They wanted the army reduced to a police force.
      他们想把这支队伍降级为一支警察部队。
3. VERB 迫使;使不得不（做）；使只得
   If you say that someone is reduced to doing something, you mean that they have to do it, although it is unpleasant or embarrassing.
   1. He was reduced to begging for a living.
      他不得不以乞讨为生。
4. VERB 使变成;使简化为
   If something is changed to a different or less complicated form, you can say that it is reduced to that form.
   1. All the buildings in the town have been reduced to rubble...
      城里所有的建筑都成了废墟。
   2. Politics has been reduced to class struggle.
      政治变成了阶级斗争。
5. V-ERG （烹调中）使变浓稠，收汁
   If you reduce liquid when you are cooking, or if it reduces, it is boiled in order to make it less in quantity and thicker.
   1. Boil the liquid in a small saucepan to reduce it by half...
      用小炖锅炖，收一半汤汁。
   2. Simmer until mixture reduces.
      用小火煮到汤汁收浓。
6. PHRASE 境况变差;生活拮据
   If you say that someone is living in reduced circumstances, you mean that they do not have as much money as they used to have.
   1. They are the descendants of emperors and kings and are now living in reduced circumstances.
      他们是帝王的后代，但是现在境况大不如前了。
7. PHRASE 使…无言
   If someone or something reduces you to silence, they make you feel so upset or confused that you cannot speak.
   1. Her challenge reduced them to silence.
      她的质问让他们哑口无言。
8. PHRASE 使…落泪
   If someone or something reduces you to tears, they make you feel so unhappy that you cry.
   1. The attentions of the media reduced her to tears.
      媒体的关注把她弄哭了。

1. He urged the administration and Congress to come up with a credible package to reduce the budget deficit.
   他敦促政府和国会出台一整套切实可行的方案，以缩减预算赤字。
2. We all need to look for ways to reduce our carbon footprint.
   我们都需要寻求降低碳排放量的方法。
3. The government had committed billions of pounds for a programme to reduce acid rain
   政府已经给一个旨在减少酸雨的方案拨了几十亿英镑。
4. We must reduce the danger of war by controlling nuclear, chemical and conventional arms.
   我们必须通过控制核武器、化学武器和常规武器的数量来减少战争的危险。
5. I really believe that it is possible to both improve customer satisfaction and reduce costs
   我确实认为可以既提高客户满意度又降低成本。
6. They are pressing the Chancellor to reduce excise duty on beer.
   他们正给总理施压，要求降低啤酒的消费税。
7. The pistons are graphite-coated to reduce friction.
   活塞上涂了一层石墨以减小摩擦力。
8. Industrialized countries must reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
   工业化国家必须减少二氧化碳的排放。
9. It should be possible to reduce leakage from pipes.
   应该可以减少管道的渗漏量。
10. He finally corrected his misstatement and offered to reduce the fee
    他终于纠正了自己的错误说法，提出要减少费用。
11. They believed that controlling the money supply would reduce inflation.
    他们相信控制货币供应量会减少通货膨胀。
12. His commitments to the stepchildren will not reduce his obligation to his natural children.
    他对继子女的关爱和投入不会减少他对亲生孩子的责任。
13. We are having to cut our costs to reduce overheads and remain competitive.
    我们现在必须减少开支以降低营运费用，保持竞争力。
14. It reduces the risks of heart disease
    这降低了患心脏病的风险。
15. The reduced consumer demand is also affecting company profits.
    消费需求的降低也影响到了公司的利润。
16. They were reduced to extreme poverty
    他们陷入极端贫困的状态。
17. They wanted the army reduced to a police force.
    他们想把这支队伍降级为一支警察部队。
18. He was reduced to begging for a living.
    他不得不以乞讨为生。
19. All the buildings in the town have been reduced to rubble
    城里所有的建筑都成了废墟。
20. Politics has been reduced to class struggle.
    政治变成了阶级斗争。
21. Boil the liquid in a small saucepan to reduce it by half
    用小炖锅炖，收一半汤汁。
22. Simmer until mixture reduces.
    用小火煮到汤汁收浓。
23. They are the descendants of emperors and kings and are now living in reduced circumstances.
    他们是帝王的后代，但是现在境况大不如前了。
24. Her challenge reduced them to silence.
    她的质问让他们哑口无言。
25. The attentions of the media reduced her to tears.
    媒体的关注把她弄哭了。
26. Some in the market now want government regulation in order to reduce costs.
    现在一些市场人士希望政府实施调控，以降低成本。
27. The design of the bicycle has managed to reduce the effects of wind resistance and drag.
    这种自行车的设计成功地减少了风的阻力和摩擦力。
28. The creams have been used to reduce vaginal infections.
    已使用这种乳膏来减少阴道感染。
29. Oil is put in machinery to reduce the friction.
    把油涂到机器上减少摩擦。

  decrease diminish lessen reduce【导航词义：减少，降低】

  decrease v. （使）减少，（使）变小

〔辨析〕指变少或降低水平。

  diminish v. （使）减小，（使）降低

〔辨析〕指大小、数量不断减小，也可引申为贬低某事物的重要性或价值。

  lessen v. （使）变小，（使）减少

〔辨析〕指程度、规模等减少，也可指降低某事物的可能性、影响等。

  reduce v. 减少，减小

〔辨析〕指降低价格、数量、规模等。

reduce sb/sth (from sth) to sth/to doing sth

1. 使陷入（更坏的）境地；使沦落；使陷入窘境
   to force sb/sth into a particular state or condition, usually a worse one
   1. Reduce speed now (= on a sign) .
      减速行驶。
   2. Costs have been reduced by 20% over the past year.
      过去一年，各项费用已经减少了20%。
   3. Giving up smoking reduces the risk of heart disease.
      戒烟会减少得心脏病的风险。
   4. The number of employees was reduced from 40 to 25.
      雇员人数从40人减少到了25人。
   5. The skirt was reduced to £10 in the sale.
      在大减价期间，这条裙子减价到10英镑。

reduce sth to sth

1. 将…概括成（或简化为）
   to change sth to a more general or more simple form
   1. a reducing plan
      节食计划

v.

reduced circumstances

• （委婉说法，与poor同义）境况不济
  the state of being poorer than you were before. People say living in reduced circumstances to avoid saying poor .

verb

1. take off weight

   Synonym:    melt offlose weightslimslenderizethinslim down

2. lessen the strength or flavor of a solution or mixture
   1. cut bourbon

   Synonym:    dilutethinthin outcut

3. narrow or limit
   1. reduce the influx of foreigners

   Synonym:    tighten

4. cook until very little liquid is left
   1. The cook reduced the sauce by boiling it for a long time

   Synonym:    boil downconcentrate

5. be cooked until very little liquid is left
   1. The sauce should reduce to one cup

   Synonym:    boil downdecoctconcentrate

6. be the essential element
   1. The proposal boils down to a compromise

   Synonym:    come downboil down

7. to remove oxygen from a compound, or cause to react with hydrogen or form a hydride, or to undergo an increase in the number of electrons

   Synonym:    deoxidizedeoxidise

8. make smaller
   1. reduce an image

   Synonym:    scale down

9. reduce in size
   1. Hot water will shrink the sweater
   2. Can you shrink this image?

   Synonym:    shrink

10. make less complex
    1. reduce a problem to a single question

11. reduce in scope while retaining essential elements
    1. The manuscript must be shortened

    Synonym:    abridgeforeshortenabbreviateshortencutcontract

12. cut down on
    1. reduce your daily fat intake
    2. The employer wants to cut back health benefits

    Synonym:    cut downcut backtrimtrim downtrim backcutbring down

13. destress and thus weaken a sound when pronouncing it

14. reposition (a broken bone after surgery) back to its normal site

15. undergo meiosis
    1. The cells reduce

16. lower in grade or rank or force somebody into an undignified situation
    1. She reduced her niece to a servant

17. simplify the form of a mathematical equation of expression by substituting one term for another

18. lessen and make more modest
    1. reduce one's standard of living

19. bring to humbler or weaker state or condition
    1. He reduced the population to slavery

20. put down by force or intimidation
    1. The government quashes any attempt of an uprising
    2. China keeps down her dissidents very efficiently
    3. The rich landowners subjugated the peasants working the land

    Synonym:    repressquashkeep downsubduesubjugate