| Main Entry: | lessen |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | lower, reduce |
Synonyms: |
abate, abridge, amputate, attenuate, become smaller, clip, close, contract, crop, curtail, cut, cut back, de-escalate, decline, decrease, degrade, die down, dilute, diminish, downsize, drain, dwindle, ease, erode, grow less, impair, lighten, minify, minimize, mitigate, moderate, narrow, roll back, shrink, slack up, slacken, slow down, soft-pedal, take the bite out, take the edge off, take the sting out, taper, taper off, thin, truncate, weaken, wind down |
| Notes: | lessen means to decrease in size, extent, or range, while a lesson is a unit of instruction |
Antonyms: |
enlarge, extend, increase, raise, strengthen |
| Main Entry: | lessening |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | decreasing |
Synonyms: |
abating, declining, depreciating, diminishing, dropping, dwindling, dying down, ebbing, ebbing, fading away, lightening, losing momentum, lowering, moderating, narrowing, plummeting, plunging, quieting, sagging, shrinking, shriveling up, sinking, slackening, slowing, slumping, softening, subsiding, waning, wasting, weakening, wearing down, wearing off |
| Main Entry: | lessening |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | decrease |
Synonyms: |
decline, discount, reduction, shrinkage |
| Main Entry: | abridge |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | shorten |
Synonyms: |
abbreviate, abstract, blue pencil, chop, clip, compress, concentrate, condense, contract, curtail, cut, decrease, digest, diminish, downsize, lessen, limit, narrow, put in nutshell, reduce, restrict, slash, snip, summarize, trim, truncate |
Antonyms: |
add, enlarge, expand, extend, increase, lengthen |
| Main Entry: | abridgement |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | shortening, summary |
Synonyms: |
abbreviation, abstract, brief, compendium, condensation, conspectus, contraction, curtailment, cutting, decrease, digest, diminishment, diminution, lessening, outline, precis, reducing, reduction, synopsis |
Antonyms: |
addition, enlargement, expansion, extension, increase, lengthening, padding |
| Main Entry: | allay |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | reduce something, usually a pain or a problem |
Synonyms: |
abate, alleviate, assuage, calm, compose, cool out, decrease, ease, lessen, lighten, make nice, mitigate, moderate, mollify, pacify, play up to, pour oil on, quiet, square, take the bite out, take the sting out |
Antonyms: |
intensify, provoke, stir, worsen |
| Main Entry: | appease |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | satisfy, pacify |
Synonyms: |
allay, alleviate, assuage, be enough, blunt, calm, compose, conciliate, content, diminish, do*, ease, gratify, lessen, lull, make matters up, meet halfway, mitigate, mollify, patch things up, placate, propitiate, quell, quench, quiet, serve, soften, soothe, subdue, sweeten, tranquilize |
Antonyms: |
aggravate, annoy, incite, irritate, provoke, tease |
| Main Entry: | appeasement |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | satisfaction; pacification |
Synonyms: |
abatement, acceding, accommodation, adjustment, alleviation, amends, assuagement, blunting, compromise, concession, conciliation, easing, grant, lessening, lulling, mitigation, moderation, mollification, peace offering, placation, propitiation, quelling, quenching, quieting, reconciliation, reparation, restoration, settlement, softening, solace, soothing, tranquilization |
Antonyms: |
aggravation, annoyance, irritation, provocation, resistance |
| Main Entry: | assuage |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | soothe, relieve |
Synonyms: |
allay, alleviate, appease, calm, compose, conciliate, cool*, ease, fill, lessen, lighten, lull, make nice, mitigate, moderate, mollify, pacify, palliate, placate, pour oil on, propitiate, quench, quiet, sate, satisfy, soften, still, surfeit, sweeten, take the edge off, take the sting out, temper, tranquilize |
Antonyms: |
exacerbate, upset |
| Main Entry: | attenuate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | weaken |
Synonyms: |
abate, constrict, contract, cripple, debilitate, deflate, disable, dissipate, enfeeble, extenuate, lessen, mitigate, sap, shrink, thin, undermine, vitiate |
Antonyms: |
expand, increase, intensify, strengthen |