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GRE vocabulary

attenuate

verbHigh-frequency wordMore A words

to reduce the strength, force, or value of something

Word origin: From Latin attenuare, to make thin (ad- to plus tenuis thin).

In a sentence

Attenuate in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing attenuate in a sentence.

Thick walls attenuate the noise from the busy street outside.

Engineers added insulation to attenuate the vibrations transmitted through the floor.

Synonyms
weakendiminishdilute
Antonyms
strengthenintensifyamplify
Usage & nuance

Using “attenuate” well

Attenuate means to reduce the strength, force, or magnitude of something. It applies to signals, effects, and arguments, weakening intensity rather than removing it entirely.

Common questions

Questions about “attenuate

Attenuate (verb) means to reduce the strength, force, or value of something
Here is attenuate used in an example sentence: "Thick walls attenuate the noise from the busy street outside." Another example: "Engineers added insulation to attenuate the vibrations transmitted through the floor."
Common synonyms for attenuate include weaken, diminish, dilute.
Antonyms of attenuate include strengthen, intensify, amplify.
Attenuate clusters with weaken, diminish, and dilute in Sentence Equivalence. Its antonyms strengthen, intensify, and amplify signal the opposite movement, a common GRE reversal.
Yes. Attenuate is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

Learn words the way the GRE tests them.

Vocabulary sticks when you meet it in real sentences. Practise these words inside text completion and sentence equivalence questions.