Dictionary

downsize en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈdaʊnsaɪz/

Etymology

From down- + size.

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To reduce in size or number.
   • Class 108 DMU LO257 awaits departure from Manchester Victoria on June 19 1991. Possessing 16 platforms in the 1960s, the station was significantly downsized in the early 1990s and today just six platforms remain. 2020 June 3, Philip Haigh, “Who can clean up Manchester's mess?”, in Rail, page 48, photo caption:
   • While some of these moves will be prompted by, for instance, releasing equity to help children get on the property ladder, David Fell, Hamptons' senior analyst, says many will probably be downsizing to reduce mortgage payments to a more manageable level. 2023 November 25, Alexandra Goss, “Downsizers’ dilemma”, in FT Weekend (House & Home section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 1:
   • Joe and Edna moved to a bungalow after deciding to downsize when the children had left home.
   • The company chose to downsize by laying off half of its workers.
2. (transitive) To reduce the workforce of.
   • They downsized the division by offering attractive early-retirement packages and selling off an office building.
3. (euphemistic, transitive) To terminate the employment of.
   • Joe got downsized and became a plumber.

Forms

Deriveds

downsizer · dumbsize · downsizing · downsizable

Hypernyms

scale down · scale back

Relateds

rightsize · upsize

Synonyms

let go · give the chop · serve notice · decruit · remove · make redundant · give someone the old heave-ho · retrench · lay off · can · give someone their cards · discard · give someone the heave-ho · promote to customer · term · dismiss · give the axe · let someone go · fire · sack · rightsize · axe · throw out · pink slip · give someone the boot · shit-can · unhire · give the elbow · downsize · discharge · dehire · terminate

Translations (29)

fr réajuster (to reduce the workforce of) · ja ダウンサイジングする (to reduce the workforce of) · fi vähentää työvoimaa (to reduce the workforce of) · el μειώνω (to reduce the workforce of) · fi pienentää (to reduce in size or number) · ru сокращать (to terminate the employment of) · el μειώνω (to reduce in size or number) · es reajustar la plantilla (to reduce the workforce of) · hu leépít (to reduce the workforce of) · fr réduire (to reduce the workforce of) · fr revoir à la baisse (to reduce in size or number) · ru сокраща́ть (to reduce the workforce of) · hu elbocsát (to terminate the employment of) · nl reorganizeren (to reduce the workforce of) · fi saada potkut (to terminate the employment of) · nl afslanken (to reduce the workforce of) · nl afslanken (to reduce in size or number) · ja リストラする (to reduce the workforce of) · ru увольнять (to terminate the employment of) · fr diminuer (to reduce in size or number) · ru сократи́ть (to reduce the workforce of) · nl afvloeien (to terminate the employment of) · cmn 裁員 /裁员 (to reduce the workforce of) · sv skära ned (to reduce in size or number) · es hacer recortes de personal (to reduce the workforce of) · fr réduire (to reduce in size or number) · nl reorganizeren (to reduce in size or number) · es hacer recortes de plantilla (to reduce the workforce of) · nl afdanken (to terminate the employment of)