amenuiser

The standard modern verb for making something thinner or smaller — most common in its reflexive form s'amenuiser, meaning to dwindle or shrink over time (les chances s'amenuisent, les réserves s'amenuisent). It's the everyday word for this idea; the older variant amenuir survives mostly in the same reflexive sense.

• Les réserves d'eau s'amenuisent chaque été davantage. — Water reserves dwindle more every summer.
• Le temps qui nous reste s'amenuise rapidement. — The time we have left is shrinking fast.
• Ils ont amenuisé les risques en doublant les contrôles. — They reduced the risks by doubling the checks.

Learners treat it as a plain synonym for diminuer in all contexts, but amenuiser/s'amenuiser carries a stronger sense of dwindling toward nothing — it's for things running low or running out, not just any decrease.

Often confused with diminuer.