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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 There is a balance between each person wanting to push herself; no one wants to be responsible for holding others back or lessening the experience. Jesse James McTigue, Outside Online, 20 Mar. 2025 Since the oil price shock of 2014, however, many of those economies have implemented structural reforms and diversification programs in a bid to lessen their dependence on oil revenue. Natasha Turak, CNBC, 14 Mar. 2025 Ideal for the ultimate no-makeup makeup look, for which Westman is known, the innovative blush harnesses biomimicry pigment technology, which lessens the risk of inflammation by encapsulating the synthetic pigments in the blush. Jenny Berg, Vogue, 18 Mar. 2025 Poor diet linked to severe measles disease Kennedy has claimed that poor nutrition plays a role in causing severe measles disease and that a healthy diet can lessen severity. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 14 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lessen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lessen
Verb
  • This has, among other losses, reduced Egyptian revenue from the Suez Canal by about eight hundred million dollars a month.
    Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Standardization can also reduce due diligence burdens.
    The Sorenson Impact Institute, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • In terms of a mechanism, the rejection seems to decrease levels of a neuropeptide in the brain, which increases after mating, leading Heberlein et al.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 Apr. 2025
  • Keeping those cuts on the books would decrease revenue by $4.5 trillion from 2025 through 2034, according to estimates from the Tax Foundation.
    Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Thimerosal degrades into ethylmercury, which was judged not to be a danger at the level that would come from a vaccine.
    Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2025
  • The quality degrades a bit after the sun goes down.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 29 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The VMAs, which have seen their social capital diminish over the past few years, delivered a promising ceremony in 2024.
    Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2025
  • As time went on, her pain diminished, but August decided to go to the emergency room.
    Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • One way that could happen would be for foreign countries to weaken their currency to make the same product cheaper in dollars for tariff purposes, without raising the end cost to the consumer.
    Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • More broadly, consumer sentiment has declined and retail sales growth has weakened, reflecting the uncertainty of customers over where the economy is headed.
    Harry Holzer, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The swelling in the area never subsided, prompting surgery to clean up bone spurs that had traveled dangerously close to his Achilles tendon.
    Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2025
  • The rain, expected to begin late Sunday, will subside by Monday afternoon, but below-average temperatures will hang around all week, according to the National Weather Service.
    Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Additionally, inspectors said, grout had deteriorated between floor tiles at the cook’s line.
    Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • And regardless of today’s numbers, the labor market could deteriorate very quickly amid Trump’s new tariffs, according to Yardeni Research.
    Josh Fellman, Quartz, 4 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • During 2024 short squeeze dynamics drove the price much higher, which allowed the company to issue shares, diluting common shareholders by approximately 15% and raising the company over $3.4 Billion in cash.
    Mauricio Di Bartolomeo, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • The rest of its ingredients make up a veritable bouquet of vegetables: Carrots, celery, cabbage, onion, parsley, and turnip are diluted and mixed with the caramel color to make a shelf-stable seasoning condiment that boosts a wide variety of dishes.
    Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 27 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Lessen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lessen. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.

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