Meaning & use
diluted
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“diluted” is a form of “dilute”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Made weaker or thinner by having water or another liquid mixed in.
Grammar: Usually used before a noun or after be: diluted juice.
Patterns
- diluted with something
- diluted juice
The syrup is too sweet unless it is diluted with water.
Diluted bleach is safe for cleaning the tiles.
He drank a diluted version of the medicine.
adjectivecomparablefigurative
Reduced in force, purity or effect, as if mixed with something weaker.
Grammar: Figurative use for ideas, power and effects.
Patterns
- diluted by something
- a diluted version of something
The bill was diluted by repeated amendments.
The film is a diluted version of the original novel.
Owners' shares were diluted when new stock was issued.
verbtransitive
Past tense and past participle of dilute: to have made something weaker.
Grammar: Takes an object: she diluted the paint.
Patterns
- diluted something with something
She diluted the paint with water.
The nurse diluted the solution before use.
They diluted the message to appeal to everyone.
Word forms
| base form | dilute |
|---|---|
| third person singular | dilutes |
| -ing form | diluting |
Common combinations
- diluted with water
- The juice was diluted with water for the toddler.
- heavily diluted
- The soup tasted heavily diluted.
- diluted version
- The diluted version lost its edge.
- diluted solution
- A diluted solution of vinegar removes limescale.
- diluted impact
- The delays diluted the impact of the launch.
Synonyms and how they differ
- watered-down
- Watered-down is informal and often critical, while diluted can be neutral and scientific.
- weakened
- Weakened describes any loss of strength, not necessarily by mixing in something.
- thinned
- Thinned refers to making a liquid less thick, not less strong in effect.
- adulterated
- Adulterated implies a lower quality by adding a worse ingredient, which is more negative.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: diluted or deluded?
diluted vs deluded
Deluded means holding a false belief; diluted means made weaker. They look similar.
Practice
The cleaner is very strong, so use it ______ with water.
Choose one answer.
Diluted means thinned out with water. Distilled means purified by boiling, and deluded means fooled.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “diluted”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.