lessen
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
-
to make less; reduce.
-
Archaic. to represent as less; depreciate; disparage.
verb
-
to make or become less
-
(tr) to make little of
Other Word Forms
- unlessened adjective
Etymology
Origin of lessen
First recorded in 1300–50; late Middle English lessenen, lasnen; equivalent to less + -en 1
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.
Pankaj Chadha, chairman of the Engineering Export Promotion Council, said diversification had become a necessity to lessen dependence on the "biggest and the most lucrative" market.
From Barron's
Knowing that money doesn’t equal value, and that families can be frustratingly immovable, doesn’t lessen the tension that might arise when the question “Who should pay for dinner?” is posed.
From MarketWatch
“I don’t think that us having dudes sit down lessens any chances that we have — any motivation or confidence — to win the game,” Gadsden said.
From Los Angeles Times
However, interest in stablecoins is expected to climb once the Genius Act takes effect in 2027, as the new guardrails lessen their volatility.
While it lessens the amount the borrower has to pay today, it pushes potential problems down the road and delays the timing of the interest payments the BDC had expected.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
