| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make less; decrease |
| Synonyms: | abate, abridge, bankrupt, bant, break, cheapen, chop, clip, contract, curtail, cut, cut back, cut down, debase, deflate, depreciate, depress, diet, dilute, diminish, discount, drain, dwindle, go on a diet, impair, impoverish, lessen, lose weight, lower, mark down, moderate, nutshell, pare, pauperize, rebate, recede, roll back, ruin, scale down, shave, shorten, slash, slim, slow down, step down, take off weight, taper, taper off, tone down, trim, truncate, turn down, weaken, wind down |
| Notes: | reduce means to cut down on; minimize means to make small or insignificant or represent as less important |
| Antonyms: | expand, extend, grow, increase, raise, upgrade |
| Main Entry: | soften |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | calm, soothe |
| Synonyms: | abate, allay, alleviate, appease, assuage, become tender, bend, cushion, diminish, disintegrate, dissolve, ease, enfeeble, give, knead, lessen, lighten, lower, mash, mellow, melt, mitigate, moderate, modify, moisten, mollify, palliate, qualify, quell, relax, relent, still, subdue, temper, tenderize, thaw, tone down, turn down, weaken, yield |
| Antonyms: | irritate, trouble, upset, worry |
| Main Entry: | subdue |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | keep under control; moderate |
| Synonyms: | bear down, beat down, break, break in, check, conquer, control, crush, defeat, discipline, dominate, drop, extinguish, gentle, get the better of, get the upper hand, get under control, humble, mellow, overcome, overpower, overrun, put down, quash, quell, quench, quiet, quieten, reduce, repress, restrain, shut down, soften, squelch, subjugate, suppress, tame, temper, tone down, trample, triumph over, vanquish |
| Antonyms: | arouse, incite, release, rouse, start |
| Main Entry: | tame |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | domesticate, make compliant |
| Synonyms: | break, break in, break the spirit, bridle, bring to heel, bust, check, conquer, curb, discipline, domesticize, domiciliate, enslave, gentle, house-train, housebreak, humble, mitigate, mute, pacify, repress, restrain, soften, subdue, subjugate, suppress, temper, tone down, train, vanquish, water down |
| Main Entry: | temper |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | calm, moderate |
| Synonyms: | abate, adjust, admix, allay, alleviate, assuage, chill out, cool, cool out, curb, dilute, ease, fine tune, lessen, make reasonable, mitigate, modulate, mollify, monkey around with, pacify, palliate, relieve, restrain, revamp, soft-pedal, soften, soothe, switch, take the bite out of, take the edge off, take the sting out of, tone down, transmogrify, weaken |
| Antonyms: | aggravate, agitate, excite, infuriate, upset |
| Main Entry: | soft-pedal |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | play down |
| Synonyms: | blue-pencil, euphemize, hush-hush, mitigate, moderate, palliate, put on the soft pedal, shush, subdue, tone down |
| Concept: | Shade. |
| Category: | 2. Sensation; special sensation; light; light in general |
| Synonyms: |
-nouns
shade; awning (cover); parasol, sunshade, umbrella; chick; portiere; screen, curtain, shutter, blind, gauze, veil, mantle, mask; cloud, mist, gathering. of clouds., umbrage, glade; shadow.
-verbs
draw a curtain; put up a shutter, close a shutter; veil; cast a shadow (darken).
-adjectives
shady, umbrageous.
-phrases
"welcome ye shades! ye bowery thickets hail" [Thomson]
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| Antonyms: | luminary |
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