lessen

[les-uhn] / ˈlɛs ən /

VERB

lower, reduce

Synonyms

STRONGEST

abate curtail decrease dilute diminish dwindle ease erode impair lighten minimize mitigate narrow shrink slacken taper off weaken

STRONG

abridge amputate attenuate clip close contract crop cut de-escalate decline degrade downsize drain minify moderate soft pedal taper thin truncate

WEAK

become smaller cut back die down grow less roll back slack up slow down take the bite out take the edge off take the sting out wind down

Antonyms

STRONGEST

develop enlarge expand extend grow increase intensify irritate lengthen prolong strengthen worsen

STRONG

go up rise stretch

WEAK

raise

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

With far less data available about the rare strain, health officials said there are fewer medical interventions to lessen its spread.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

The fear is that AI tools will both lessen the need for specialized software applications and reduce headcount at the organizations which currently rely on them.

From Barron's • May 21, 2026

"The helicopter is expected to carry out targeted water drops on the Elan Valley wildfire during the next few hours to extinguish or lessen the impacts of the fire," he said.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

And the time horizon for the hoped-for boost in economic productivity that would lessen price pressures is highly uncertain.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026

“You realize that trying to keep your distance from me will not lessen my affection for you,” he said.

From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green

Vocabulary lists containing lessen

Going Down: Synonyms for "Fall"

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Chop Chop: Synonyms for "Cut"

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Road Trip Magical Mystery List A

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