Standard Lemma guide

downsizing

noun · verb · 5 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.

  • CMU ARPABET: D AW1 N S AY2 Z IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An act in which a company downsizes or is downsized.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • He lost his job in the last downsizing.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Miniaturization.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Reducing engine's capacity at same power or increasing engine's power without increasing capacity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: automotive, transport, vehicles

Examples

  • Downsizing is one of the leading trends in automotive engine design.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

present participle and gerund of downsize

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

the reduction of expenditures in order to become financially stable

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: retrenchment, curtailment

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: economy, saving

History

Etymology

From downsize + -ing.

Across languages

Translations

21 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 裁員 /裁员 (cáiyuán) — downsizing of the workforce
  • Finnish: supistaminen — downsizing of the workforce
  • French: downsizing — downsizing of the workforce
  • Hungarian: leépítés — downsizing of the workforce
  • Hungarian: létszámleépítés — downsizing of the workforce
  • Japanese: ダウンサイジング (daunsaizingu) — downsizing of the workforce
  • Japanese: リストラ (risutora) — downsizing of the workforce
  • Russian: сокраще́ние (sokraščénije) — downsizing of the workforce
  • Russian: даунса́йзинг (daunsájzing) — downsizing of the workforce
  • Spanish: recorte de personal — downsizing of the workforce
  • Spanish: recorte de plantilla — downsizing of the workforce
  • Spanish: recorte de nómina — downsizing of the workforce
  • Spanish: reducción de plantilla — downsizing of the workforce
  • Ukrainian: скорочення (skoročennja) — downsizing of the workforce
  • Chinese Mandarin: 小型化 (xiǎoxínghuà) — miniaturization
  • Finnish: pienentäminen — miniaturization
  • French: downsizing — miniaturization
  • Finnish: pienentäminen — reducing engine's capacity at same power or increasing engine's power without increasing capacity
  • French: downsizing — reducing engine's capacity at same power or increasing engine's power without increasing capacity
  • German: Downsizing — reducing engine's capacity at same power or increasing engine's power without increasing capacity
  • Russian: даунса́йзинг (daunsájzing) — reducing engine's capacity at same power or increasing engine's power without increasing capacity
Real reading context

downsizing in complete knowledge articles