Phrase guide

dial down

verb · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To reduce or diminish in effect or intensity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, transitive

Examples

  • Let's dial down the anger in this conversation.
  • We felt there was too much graphic detail in the first draft, and thus asked the writer to dial it down.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

17 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 調低 /调低 (tiáodī) — reduce in intensity
  • Chinese Mandarin: 降低 (jiàngdī) — reduce in intensity
  • Chinese Mandarin: 減少 /减少 (jiǎnshǎo) — reduce in intensity
  • Finnish: vähentää — reduce in intensity
  • German: vermindern — reduce in intensity
  • Russian: приглуша́ть (priglušátʹ) — reduce in intensity
  • Russian: приглуши́ть (priglušítʹ) — reduce in intensity
  • Russian: уменьша́ть (umenʹšátʹ) — reduce in intensity
  • Russian: уме́ньшить (uménʹšitʹ) — reduce in intensity
  • Russian: убавля́ть (ubavljátʹ) — reduce in intensity
  • Russian: уба́вить (ubávitʹ) — reduce in intensity
  • Spanish: disminuir — reduce in intensity
  • Spanish: rebajar — reduce in intensity
  • Spanish: reducir — reduce in intensity
  • Spanish: menguar — reduce in intensity
  • Swedish: skala ner — reduce in intensity
  • Swedish: minska — reduce in intensity