slim down
Học thuậtThân thiện
She decided to slim down by eating more vegetables and going for daily walks.
Definition
- Verb:
- To lose weight; to become thinner: The primary meaning of "slim down" is to reduce one's body weight or size, often through diet or exercise.
- To reduce in size or number: In a business or organizational context, it can mean to make something smaller, more efficient, or less costly by reducing staff, operations, or expenses.
Usage
- The verb "slim down" is typically used intransitively (e.g., ) to describe a person's weight loss. It can also be used transitively (e.g., ) to describe the act of making something smaller.
- It often implies a deliberate, positive effort to become healthier or more efficient.
Examples
- Intransitive (losing weight):
- After starting her new fitness routine, she began to slim down noticeably.
- He needs to slim down before his doctor's appointment next month.
- Transitive (reducing something):
- The corporation decided to slim down its operations in Europe to cut costs.
- We had to slim down the guest list for the wedding due to budget constraints.
Advanced Usage
- "Slimming down" (Gerund/Noun form): The process of losing weight or reducing size.
- Slimming down requires both discipline and patience.
- Used figuratively for non-physical reduction:
- The editor helped me slim down my essay by removing unnecessary paragraphs.
Variants and Related Words
- Slim (verb/adjective): As a verb, it means to make oneself thinner (e.g., ). As an adjective, it means attractively thin.
- Downsize (verb): A close synonym in business contexts, meaning to reduce the number of employees or the scale of operations.
Synonyms
- Lose weight: The most direct synonym for the health-related meaning.
- Reduce: A general synonym for making something smaller.
- Trim down: Very similar in meaning, often used interchangeably.
- Cut back: To reduce amount or number.
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Cut down (on): To reduce the amount of something consumed or used.
- He cut down on sugar to help slim down.
- Trim down: Essentially synonymous with "slim down" for both body weight and general reduction.
Related Idioms
- Get into shape: To become physically fit, which often involves slimming down.
- His goal is to get into shape, so he's trying to slim down and build muscle.
- Tighten one's belt: To spend less money; while not directly about weight, it relates to the concept of reduction and is sometimes used in similar contexts of making cuts.
- After the financial loss, the family had to tighten its belt and slim down its budget.
She decided to slim down by eating more vegetables and going for daily walks.
Verb
- take off weight