Re: Looking for the antonym for enhancement - A SolidWords study.

Today the D's have it. I threw this out during the Monday morning
football discussion and the consensus was degradation. Another google
search landed detraction. And a further discovery led to degeneration
and dwindlement.

I will list detraction first. It is too close to other related words
like detractor and detractress and many times has to do with taking
away reputation. That certainly does not seem to fit. The other
problem with detraction is that in the case of slandering or
belittling there is a sense that the thing being brought down is being
taken down with words and not necessarily in fact. As far as
enhancements are concerned we are speaking of a lessening in fact of
some ability, not with detraction for detractions sake.

I kind of take a shine to degeneration because generation carries the
connotation of becoming something that didn't exist before and so
degeneration carries the opposite connotation of undoing something
that was created.

And for the niche market there is dwindlement. A dwindlement is an
unused enhancement that disappears after years of disuse.

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detract
verb

intr
detracted, detracting
1. To take away from it or lessen it.
Thesaurus: lessen, reduce, diminish, devaluate,
depreciate, lower, negate, nullify.
Form: detract from something (chiefly)

Derivative: detraction
noun

Derivative: detractor
noun

A person who criticizes or belittles someone
Thesaurus: slanderer, critic, scandalmonger, defamer,
backbiter, muck-raker, traducer, reviler, vilifier;

Antonym: flatterer, supporter.

Etymology: 15c: from Latin detrahere, detractum to pull away.

Detraction (n.) A taking away or withdrawing.


degradation

degradation
noun

1. Moral deterioration.
Thesaurus: deterioration, decline, destitution.
2. chem.
Reduction of a substance to a simpler structure.
3. Being degraded; disgrace.
Thesaurus: disgrace, dishonour, shame, mortification,
humiliation, debasement, ignominy.
4. Erosion.

Etymology: 16c.

Degradation (n.) Diminution or reduction of strength, efficacy, or
value; degeneration; deterioration.

Degeneration (n.) The act or state of growing worse, or the state of
having become worse; decline; degradation; debasement; degeneracy;
deterioration.


Dwindle (v. i.) To diminish; to become less; to shrink; to waste or
consume away; to become degenerate; to fall away.

Dwindle (n.) The process of dwindling; dwindlement; decline;
degeneracy.

Dwindlement (n.) The act or process of dwindling; a dwindling.
.