downsize
gb/dˈaʊnsˌaɪz/ us/dˈaʊnsˌaɪz/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
Verb
business
B2
action
1
reduce staff or operations
to make a company smaller, often by cutting jobs
Usage pattern:
downsize [a company/department] (to [a smaller size])
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse downsize (reduce the company) with downsize to (move to a smaller home).
Synonyms
cut back (More general; not necessarily about company size or jobs.)
|
reduce headcount (Directly refers to having fewer employees.)
|
lay off (Focuses specifically on ending employees’ jobs.)
Antonyms
expand (Grow in size, staff, or operations.)
|
hire (Increase staff rather than reduce it.)
Collocations
downsize the company
|downsize the workforce
|downsize staff
|downsize operations
|downsize the department
|downsize after a merger
|downsize to cut costs
|downsize dramatically
|downsize over time
|plan to downsize
Themes
business
|work
|economics
Examples
- The company downsized after sales fell for three straight quarters.
- Management decided to downsize the marketing team and outsource some work.
- Several factories were downsized to reduce operating costs.
Learner examples
- The company will downsize this year.
- They downsized the department to save money.
Verb
B2
action
2
move to a smaller home
to move to a smaller home or keep fewer things
Usage pattern:
downsize (from [a bigger home] to [a smaller home])
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse it for any move; downsize implies going smaller or simpler.
Synonyms
move to a smaller place (Clear and literal; not as compact as downsize.)
|
simplify (Emphasizes lifestyle and possessions, not necessarily housing.)
|
scale down (More general; can apply beyond housing.)
Antonyms
upsize (Move to a larger home or increase living space.)
|
upgrade (Move to something better, often larger or more expensive.)
Collocations
downsize to an apartment
|downsize to a condo
|downsize the house
|downsize your home
|downsize your belongings
|downsize after the kids move out
|downsize for retirement
|downsize to save money
|decide to downsize
|ready to downsize
Themes
daily_life
|housing
|money
Examples
- After the children left home, they downsized to a two-bedroom apartment.
- We’re thinking of downsizing so we can spend more on travel.
- She downsized and donated most of her furniture before moving.
Learner examples
- My parents downsized to a smaller house.
- We want to downsize and live more simply.
Verb
B2
action
3
make something smaller
to make something smaller or less
Usage pattern:
downsize [something] (to [a smaller amount/size])
Common mistake:
Downsize is often used for plans, portions, or projects; it does not mean “finish” or “cancel.”
Synonyms
reduce (Neutral and broad; does not imply a deliberate shift to smaller scale.)
|
shrink (Often suggests becoming smaller, sometimes unintentionally.)
|
scale down (Very close in meaning; common for plans and projects.)
Antonyms
increase (Make larger in amount or size.)
|
scale up (Grow a plan, project, or operation to a larger size.)
Collocations
downsize the project
|downsize the plan
|downsize the scope
|downsize the budget
|downsize the order
|downsize the portion
|downsize the menu
|downsize the design
|downsize the model
|downsize expectations
Themes
daily_life
|planning
Examples
- We had to downsize the event because fewer people registered.
- The chef can downsize the recipe for two people if you like.
- They downsized the project to focus on the most important features.
Learner examples
- Let’s downsize the plan.
- I downsized my order to a small.
Verb
technical
B2
action
4
reduce digital image or file size
to make a photo or file smaller on a computer
Usage pattern:
downsize [a photo/image/file/video] (for [email/web])
Common mistake:
Downsizing an image can mean smaller dimensions, smaller file size, or both; context usually clarifies.
Synonyms
resize (Often refers to changing dimensions; may not reduce file size much.)
|
compress (Focuses on reducing file size, sometimes without changing dimensions.)
|
downsample (More technical; emphasizes reducing resolution or sampling rate.)
Antonyms
enlarge (Make an image larger in dimensions.)
|
upscale (Increase resolution or dimensions, often algorithmically.)
Collocations
downsize a photo
|downsize an image
|downsize pictures
|downsize a video
|downsize for email
|downsize for the web
|downsize the file size
|downsize the resolution
|downsize before uploading
|downsize in an app
Themes
technology
|computing
|media
Examples
- Could you downsize that photo before you email it to me?
- The website automatically downsizes images that are too large.
- I downsized the video so it would upload faster.
Learner examples
- Please downsize the image.
- I downsized the file for email.
Grammar
Dictionary form
downsize
IPA
GB/dˈaʊnsˌaɪz/
US/dˈaʊnsˌaɪz/
Syllables & stress
downs - ize (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (downs)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: downsize
- 3rd Person Singular: downsizes
- Present Participle: downsizing
- Past: downsized
Word family
Forms
downsizes
verb
downsizing
verb
downsized
verb
Related words
size
noun A1
resize
verb
Negative and opposite forms
upsize
verb
Advanced or less common
downsizer
noun
Expressions
downsize the workforce
1/dˈaʊnsˌaɪz ðə wˈɚkfˌɔɹs/
fixed phrase
business
cut the number of employees
to have fewer workers in a company
Examples
- The firm plans to downsize the workforce by 10% this spring.
- They downsized the workforce after the factory closed.
- To stay profitable, the company downsized the workforce in several offices.
downsize your footprint
1/dˈaʊnsˌaɪz jˈʊɹ fˈʊtpɹˌɪnt/
fixed phrase
use less space and resources
to use less and cause less pollution
Examples
- They downsized their footprint by living in a smaller home and driving less.
- If you want to downsize your footprint, start by cutting energy use.
- The campaign encourages people to downsize their footprint through simpler living.
downsize your life
1/dˈaʊnsˌaɪz jˈʊɹ lˈaɪf/
fixed phrase
simplify lifestyle and possessions
to live more simply with fewer things
Examples
- She downsized her life and stopped buying things she didn’t need.
- They want to downsize their life so they can travel more.
- After burnout, he downsized his life and took a less demanding job.