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| Main Entry: | |
| 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: | 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 |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| 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 |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | smooth |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make peace |
| Synonyms: | allay, alleviate, appease, assuage, calm, comfort, cool*, ease, extenuate, facilitate, iron out, mellow, mitigate, mollify, palliate, pat, pave the way, soften, stroke, take the edge off, take the sting out |
| Antonyms: | aggravate, agitate, incite, irritate, upset |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | soothe |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | calm, ease |
| Synonyms: | allay, alleviate, appease, assuage, balm, becalm, butter up, calm down, cheer, compose, console, cool, cool off, dulcify, help, hush, lighten, lull, make nice, make up, mitigate, mollify, pacify, patch things up, play up to, pour oil on, quiet, quieten, relieve, settle, smooth down, soften, square, still, stroke, subdue, take the edge off, take the sting out, tranquilize, unburden, untrouble |
| Antonyms: | agitate, distress, upset, worry |
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
