lessen

verb

ˈle-sᵊn How to pronounce lessen (audio)
Definition of lessennext
1
as in to reduce
to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent we lessened our efforts as it became clear they weren't having an effect

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to decrease
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually the pain should begin to lessen within minutes of taking the medication

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to degrade
to lower in character, dignity, or quality blatant hypocrisy that lessened him in the eyes of the voters

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb lessen differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of lessen are abate, decrease, diminish, dwindle, and reduce. While all these words mean "to grow or make less," lessen suggests a decline in amount rather than in number.

has been unable to lessen her debt

When can abate be used instead of lessen?

The meanings of abate and lessen largely overlap; however, abate implies a reducing of something excessive or oppressive in force or amount.

the storm abated

When is decrease a more appropriate choice than lessen?

The words decrease and lessen are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, decrease suggests a progressive decline in size, amount, numbers, or intensity.

slowly decreased the amount of pressure

In what contexts can diminish take the place of lessen?

Although the words diminish and lessen have much in common, diminish emphasizes a perceptible loss and implies its subtraction from a total.

his visual acuity has diminished

Where would dwindle be a reasonable alternative to lessen?

While the synonyms dwindle and lessen are close in meaning, dwindle implies progressive lessening and is applied to things growing visibly smaller.

their provisions dwindled slowly

When might reduce be a better fit than lessen?

The words reduce and lessen can be used in similar contexts, but reduce implies a bringing down or lowering.

you must reduce your caloric intake

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lessen Some scientists and entrepreneurs are focused on dispersing sulfate particles in the stratosphere to block sunlight, which could lessen heating but also disrupt global weather patterns such as the South Asian monsoon. —Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 May 2025 Winds should ease beginning Tuesday, lessening the fire danger. —Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 19 May 2025 The tariffs have been in flux as the Trump administration has sought to engage in trade negotiations with countries to possibly lessen their burden. —Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 14 May 2025 Porosity plus water holding capacity can be increased as well as lessening the potential for topsoil erosion. —Dawn Pettinelli, Hartford Courant, 18 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for lessen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lessen
  1. reduce
  2. decrease
  3. degrade
  4. diminish
  5. weaken
  6. subside
  7. deteriorate
  8. dilute
Verb
  • Their original sentences, which were 12 years and seven years, respectively, were reduced in September 2023.
    — Esther Kang, People.com, 28 May 2025
  • With Bayern aiming to reduce their wage bill, the Wirtz signing would have come at the cost of at least an extra €20million (£16.8m, $22.7m) per year, on top of a transfer fee somewhere between €100m and €150m.
    — Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 28 May 2025
Definition of reduce
Verb
  • The top three contributors to hydroplaning are: Vehicle speed - When a vehicle's speed increases, the tire-traction grip and ability to control the vehicle decreases.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 1 June 2025
  • As the storm moves away, this likelihood decreases.
    — KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT, Kansas City Star, 1 June 2025
Definition of decrease
Verb
  • Israeli forces are expected to continue their campaign to eliminate remaining Hamas leaders and degrade the group's military capabilities.
    — Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
  • Lithium-ion batteries degrade over time and can overheat if charged beyond their capacity and cause fires, according to FEMA’s U.S. Fire Administration.
    — David Matthews, New York Daily News, 28 May 2025
Definition of degrade
Verb
  • The 25-year-old’s sample might be small, but in an era of diminishing workloads, Zack Wheeler and Max Fried are the only current starters averaging 6 1/3 innings.
    — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 2 June 2025
  • Augmenting Human Relationships with AI AI's role in enhancing efficiency does not diminish the need for human expertise in B2B interactions.
    — John Bruno, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
Definition of diminish
Verb
  • Bias, inaccuracies and missing values can all weaken model reliability.
    — Tor Constantino, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
  • Coercing democratic allies such as Canada or Denmark more broadly weakens trust in U.S. alliances; threatening Panama reawakens fears of imperialism throughout Latin America; crippling the U.S. Agency for International Development undercuts the United States’ reputation for benevolence.
    — Robert O. Keohane, Foreign Affairs, 2 June 2025
Definition of weaken
Verb
  • So much oil got sucked out of the port and its neighborhoods that the ground started to subside, in some places yards deep.
    — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2025
  • There was a slight uptick in turnovers in the postseason, but that must subside against the Thunder.
    — Zach Harper, New York Times, 20 May 2025
Definition of subside
Verb
  • Fiscal Policy Without exception, the fiscal position of large countries, including the United States, as measured by government debt relative to GDP, deteriorated due to the impact of spending during the pandemic.
    — Bill Stone, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
  • But the age and condition of the fleet could deteriorate further, even with an infusion of cash to buy new equipment, because the wait times are so long.
    — Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2025
Definition of deteriorate
Verb
  • Han and Li’s student-teacher relationship in particular is diluted and lacks necessary grounding, and there’s little compelling friction between the two masters to make up for it.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 28 May 2025
  • Follow label directions to dilute the concentrate before spraying.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 28 May 2025
Definition of dilute

Browse Nearby Words

lessees
lessen
lessened
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lessen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lessen. Accessed 8 Jun. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on lessen

Nglish: Translation of lessen for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

'Bring' vs. 'Take'

Is it 'used to' or 'use to'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language

10 Hella Good U.S. Regionalisms

Some Data About 'Datum'

The Clinical History of 'Moron,' 'Idiot,' and 'Imbecile'
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All