Link Centre Dictionary

lessen

les·sen

UK/ˈlɛsən/ US/lɛsˈsɛn/ uncommon

verb

1.

decrease in size, extent, or range

  • “The amount of homework decreased towards the end of the semester”
  • “The cabin pressure fell dramatically”
  • “her weight fall to under a hundred pounds”
  • “his voice fell to a whisper”
Synonyms
Antonyms
2.

make smaller

  • “He decreased his staff”
Synonyms
Antonyms
3.

wear off or die down

  • “The pain subsided”
Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English lessenen, lasnen, equivalent to less + -en (verbal suffix).

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.