What does downsize mean?
Word: Downsize
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Downsize means to make a company or organisation smaller, usually by reducing the number of workers; also to move to a smaller home.
Synonyms: cut back, shrink, scale down
Antonyms: enlarge, grow
Word origin: First recorded in American English in the 1970s.
How do you spell downsize?
Syllables: down - size
Tricky part: The last part is spelt with z, never s: British English uses -ise for many verbs, but not for this one.
Watch out for: downsise, downsice
Memory tip: Picture a giant letter Z being squeezed smaller and smaller: however far a firm downsizes, the z stays.
Downsize in a sentence
Example 1: The factory had to downsize after it lost its biggest customer.
Example 2: When their children moved out, my grandparents downsized to a two-room flat.
Example 3: Many firms downsize their offices when staff begin working from home.
Fun Fact
In the 1970s, American car makers used downsize for building smaller cars; only later was it used for companies cutting jobs.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Tally
How many words are misspelt in the sentence?
When the bank began to downsize its branches, the staff formed a comittee to meet the managment and ask for fair treetment.
a) 2
b) 4
c) 1
d) 3
Show answer
d) 3. Committee doubles both m and t, management keeps the e of manage and treatment has ea; downsize itself is right.
Spell Spies
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) drawback
b) foundation
c) dounsize
d) overflow
Show answer
c) dounsize. The first part is spelt like the word down, with ow; foundation really does have ou.
Jumble Tumble
Choose the correct sequence of the jumbled letters to form a meaningful word:
ziendows 12345678
a) 46758213
b) 57642813
c) 56748213
d) 56784213
Show answer
c) 56748213. Following the digits in this order rebuilds downsize.
Word Puzzle
Match each word with its opposite:
1. downsize 2. scarce 3. reveal a. conceal b. expand c. abundant
a) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a
b) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
c) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
d) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
Show answer
b) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a. A firm that downsizes is the opposite of one that expands; scarce is the opposite of abundant and reveal of conceal.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Why might a retired couple decide to downsize?
a) they want more rooms to clean
b) they plan to buy a larger garden
c) they need a longer drive to work
d) their big house is more than they need
Show answer
d) their big house is more than they need
2. A shop that downsizes its range of goods will most likely sell ____.
a) fewer kinds of products
b) only imported products
c) many more kinds of products
d) products only at night
Show answer
a) fewer kinds of products
