Lessen - English meaning

verb

Diminish or put at rest (fear, suspicion, or worry).

Usage examples:

The report attempted to educate the public and allay fears

verb

To make a negative emotion less strong or a problem less difficult

Usage examples:

I was nervous, but seeing her allayed my fears.

verb

If you allay a strong emotion felt by someone, such as fear or worry, you cause them to feel it less or to feel calm again

Usage examples:

The government is trying to allay public fears/concern about the spread of the disease.

verb

Make (suffering, deficiency, or a problem) less severe.

Usage examples:

He couldn't prevent her pain, only alleviate it

verb

To make pain or problems less severe

Usage examples:

The medicine did nothing to alleviate her discomfort.

verb

To make something bad such as pain or problems less severe

Usage examples:

The drugs did nothing to alleviate her pain/suffering.

verb

Make (an unpleasant feeling) less intense.

Usage examples:

The letter assuaged the fears of most members

verb

To make unpleasant feelings less strong

Usage examples:

The government has tried to assuage the public's fears.

verb

Reduce the force, effect, or value of.

Usage examples:

This research provides a glimmer of hope that coral reefs can attenuate the effects of ocean acidif…

adjective

Reduced in force, effect, or physical thickness.

Usage examples:

The doctrines of christianity became very attenuate and distorted

verb

To make something less or weaker

Usage examples:

Radiation from the sun is attenuated by the earth's atmosphere., they propose more peacekeeping tro…

adjective

(of a cutting implement) not having a sharp edge or point.

Usage examples:

A blunt knife

verb

Make or become less sharp.

Usage examples:

Wood can blunt your axe

noun

A hollowed-out cigar filled with cannabis.

Usage examples:

Consequently, marijuana use in blunts may persist longer into adulthood for a larger proportion of …

verb

Examine (something) in order to determine its accuracy, quality, or condition, or to detect the presence of something.

Usage examples:

Customs officers have the right to check all luggage

noun

An examination to test or ascertain accuracy, quality, or satisfactory condition.

Usage examples:

A campaign calling for regular checks on gas appliances

exclamation

Us spelling of cheque.

verb

Make slightly wet.

Usage examples:

The fine rain dampened her face

verb

To make something slightly wet

Usage examples:

Rain dampened the tent, but it dried in the sun., i think the accident dampened his enthusiasm for …

verb

To make something less strong or successful

Usage examples:

The outlook for the global economy looked gloomy, and dampened expectations of a rise in profits th…

verb

Make (a noise or sensation) less strong or intense.

Usage examples:

Ether was used to deaden the pain

verb

To reduce the severity or effect of something

Usage examples:

He asked for some stronger medication to deaden the pain.

verb

To make something less painful or less strong

Usage examples:

Morphine is often used to deaden the pain of serious injuries., double glazing has helped to deaden…

verb

Make or become smaller or fewer in size, amount, intensity, or degree.

Usage examples:

The population of the area has decreased radically

noun

An instance or example of becoming smaller or fewer.

Usage examples:

A decrease in births

verb

To become smaller or make something less

Usage examples:

[ i ] car sales decreased sharply this year., i haven’t noticed any decrease in ticket sales.

verb

Make (someone) feel utterly dispirited or dejected.

Usage examples:

That first day at school depressed me

verb

To cause someone to feel unhappy and without hope

Usage examples:

This weather depresses me., it depresses someone to do something it depresses me to think that i'll…

verb

To reduce the value of something in money

Usage examples:

Depress prices the high number of houses for sale is depressing prices., depress earnings the rise …

adjective

Lacking interest or excitement.

Usage examples:

Your diet doesn't have to be dull and boring

verb

Make or become dull or less intense.

Usage examples:

Time dulls the memory

adjective

Not interesting or exciting; boring

Usage examples:

Many of the courtroom events were dull and routine., the lecture was dry, dull, and full of statist…

noun

Absence of difficulty or effort.

Usage examples:

She gave up smoking with ease

verb

Make (something unpleasant or intense) less serious or severe.

Usage examples:

A huge road-building programme to ease congestion

verb

Freedom from difficulty or hardship or effort

verb

Reduce (something, especially something undesirable) to the smallest possible amount or degree.

Usage examples:

The aim is to minimize costs

verb

To reduce something to the smallest possible level or amount

Usage examples:

We do all that we can to minimize the risk of infection., he minimized his involvement in the scand…

verb

To reduce something to the smallest possible level or amount

Usage examples:

We rented an office in the cheap part of town to minimize costs., you should spread your investment…

verb

Make (something bad) less severe, serious, or painful.

Usage examples:

Drainage schemes have helped to mitigate this problem

verb

To make something less severe or less unpleasant

Usage examples:

Getting a lot of sleep and drinking plenty of fluids can mitigate the effects of the flu.

verb

To make something less harmful, unpleasant, or bad

Usage examples:

Technologies that can mitigate global warming, mitigate damage/risk the company was criticized for …

adjective

Average in amount, intensity, quality, or degree.

Usage examples:

We walked at a moderate pace

noun

A person who holds moderate views, especially in politics.

Usage examples:

An unlikely alliance of radicals and moderates

verb

Make or become less extreme, intense, rigorous, or violent.

Usage examples:

I shall not moderate my criticism

verb

Make (a disease or its symptoms) less severe without removing the cause.

Usage examples:

Treatment works by palliating symptoms

verb

To reduce the bad effects of something

Usage examples:

They tried to palliate the hardship of their lives., the drugs palliate pain but have no effect on …

verb

Make smaller or less in amount, degree, or size.

Usage examples:

The need for businesses to reduce costs

verb

Make smaller

verb

To make something less in size, amount, degree, importance, or price

Usage examples:

A low-fat diet can reduce the risk of heart disease., grunn employs 17,900 people, but that number …

verb

Make or become soft or softer.

Usage examples:

Plant extracts to soften and moisturize the skin

verb

To become gentle, or to make something less forceful or loud

Usage examples:

[ t ] he made an effort to soften his tone., congress will move to soften the law’s impact., [ i ] …

verb

If demand, a price, a market, etc. softens, it stops increasing or it goes down

Usage examples:

Share prices softened with continued worries about the country's economic recovery., although deman…

idiom

To make something unpleasant have less of an effect on someone

Usage examples:

Have an apple - it'll take the edge off your hunger., his apology took the edge off her anger.