| Main Entry: | alleviate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | relieve; lessen |
Synonyms: |
allay, assuage, ease, lighten, mitigate, mollify, pacify, pour oil on, soft-pedal, take the bite out, take the edge off, take the sting out |
Antonyms: |
aggravate, heighten, increase, intensify, magnify |
| Main Entry: | calm |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make composed, quiet |
Synonyms: |
allay, alleviate, appease, assuage, balm, becalm, compose, cool, cool it, cool out, hush, lay back, lull, mitigate, mollify, pacify, placate, quiet, quieten, relax, relieve, sedate, settle, simmer down, soft-pedal, soothe, steady, still, stroke, take it easy, take the edge off, tranquilize |
Antonyms: |
agitate, anger, disquiet, distract, excite, inflame, irritate, outrage, rouse, ruffle, worry |
| Main Entry: | debrief |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | silence |
Synonyms: |
censor, dummy up, gag, hold one's tongue, hush up, mute, muzzle, put the lid on, quash, say nothing, shut up, sit on, soft-pedal, squelch, stifle, suppress |
| Main Entry: | gloss |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | conceal truth |
Synonyms: |
belie, camouflage, cover up, deacon, disguise, doctor, explain, extenuate, falsify, hide, justify, mask, misrepresent, palliate, rationalize, smooth over, soft-pedal, sugarcoat, varnish, veil, veneer, white, whiten, whitewash |
Antonyms: |
clear up, explain, reveal |
| 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: | lull |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | calm, ease off |
Synonyms: |
abate, allay, balm, becalm, cease, chill out, compose, cool off, cool*, decrease, die down, diminish, dwindle, ebb, fall, hush, lay back, let up, lullaby, moderate, pacify, put a lid on, qualify, quell, quiet, quiet down, settle, slacken, soft-pedal, soothe, still, stroke, subdue, subside, take it easy, take the edge, take the sting out, temper, tranquilize, wane |
Antonyms: |
energize, excite |
| Main Entry: | moderate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | restrain, control |
Synonyms: |
abate, allay, alleviate, appease, assuage, calm, chasten, check, constrain, cool out, cool*, curb, decline, decrease, die down, diminish, ease off, fall, lessen, let up, meet halfway, mitigate, modify, modulate, mollify, pacify, play down, qualify, quiet, reduce, regulate, relent, relieve, repress, slacken, slow, soft-pedal, soften, subdue, subside, tame, temper, tone down, wane |
Antonyms: |
egg on, free, incite, let go, liberate, unleash |
| Main Entry: | muffle |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | suppress, make quiet |
Synonyms: |
conceal, cover, cushion, dampen, deaden, decrease, drown, dull, envelop, gag, hide, hush, mellow, mute, muzzle, put the lid on, quieten, shut down, silence, sit down on, smother, soft-pedal, soften, squelch, stifle, subdue, tone down, wrap* |
Antonyms: |
blab, let loose, tell |
| Main Entry: | mute |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | muffle, tone down sound |
Synonyms: |
benumb, bottle up, cork up, dampen, deaden, decrease the volume, drown, gag, hush, keep it down, lower, moderate, muzzle, pipe down, put damper on, put the lid on, reduce, silence, soft-pedal, soften, subdue, turn down |
Antonyms: |
articulate, speak, voice |
| Main Entry: | pacify |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make peaceful; appease |
Synonyms: |
allay, ameliorate, assuage, bury the hatchet, butter up, calm, chasten, compose, con, conciliate, cool, dulcify, fix up, grease, kiss and make up, lay back, lull, make peace, mitigate, moderate, mollify, pacificate, placate, propitiate, put the lid on, qualify, quell, quiet, relieve, repress, silence, smooth over, soft-pedal, soften, soothe, square, still, stroke, subdue, sweeten, take the edge off, tame, temper, tranquilize |
Antonyms: |
agitate, incite, irritate, upset |