lessen
Americanverb (used without object)
-
lessens,
present (3rd person singular)
-
lessened,
past participle, past
-
lessening
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
lessens,
present (3rd person singular)
-
lessened,
past participle, past
-
lessening
present participle
-
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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lessensimple
-
lessenssimple
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have lessenedperfect
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has lessenedperfect
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am lesseningprogressive
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are lesseningprogressive
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is lesseningprogressive
-
have been lesseningperfect progressive
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has been lesseningperfect progressive
Past
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lessenedsimple
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had lessenedperfect
-
was lesseningprogressive
-
were lesseningprogressive
-
had been lesseningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of lessen
First recorded in 1300–50; late Middle English lessenen, lasnen; equivalent to less + -en 1
Explanation
To lessen is to make smaller, to reduce, or to weaken. A high school football coach might try to lessen head injuries by improving the quality of the team's helmets. If your cold symptoms lessen, it means you're sneezing and coughing much less and can probably go to school. If the value of your Pez collection lessens, it means those plastic candy dispensers can't be sold for quite as much money on eBay. And your friend might recommend that you take a yoga class or learn to meditate, especially if she thinks you should lessen your stress and anxiety.
Vocabulary lists containing lessen
Going Down: Synonyms for "Fall"
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Chop Chop: Synonyms for "Cut"
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Road Trip Magical Mystery List A
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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.
See Examples For:
It’s testing eloralintide and its GLP-1 pill Foundayo to see if either can lessen osteoarthritis pain.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
Krasner edited their motion to lessen Stiegler’s apparent involvement, Diamond wrote, and the four filed it with the court.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
Auto lovers have pushed for years to lessen emissions regulations for collector cars, arguing that these vintage vehicles are only driven short distances to parades and meet-ups where they deserve to be seen and cherished.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
A slower infrastructure race could reduce pressure on their cash flows and lessen the need to keep adding capacity as quickly.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
I thought that would help me and lessen the stress in my life, but it didn’t.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
Further spikes of heat are likely, however as August wears on and the sun gradually loses some of its intensity, the likelihood of extreme temperatures in the high 30s lessens.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
This actuarial approach lessens the chance you’ll run out of money, and it lets good market returns flow through to higher spending.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
As Microsoft’s control over OpenAI lessens, OpenAI has been strengthening its relationship with Amazon.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 13, 2026
That lessens the likelihood the central bank will cut interest rates and, coupled with the recent jobs report, raises the prospect of “stagflation” — weak growth and higher inflation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2026
I feel like hating him while I work with him lessens my betrayal of Tobias somehow.
From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth
The impact of Garrett’s absence could be lessened if Aaron Donald plays for the first time next Monday night against the Giants.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
From a product standpoint, PayPal has pushed passkey verification, which it said has lessened friction customers experience at checkout.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
But it could be lessened, Percy said, by local authorities embracing technological advances.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
But it only made No. 110 in the ranking, weighed down by lower scores on AI readiness, talent readiness and resilience that lessened the impact of good scores on innovation and financial fitness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026
"What type of disposition should I choose for him? Definitely get rid of the ego. The arrogance—though cute at times—must be lessened."
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
Anderson cited Saavedra’s “prompt and extensive cooperation” as a factor in lessening the sentence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
When popular teams play on Sunday afternoon, they are more likely to land in the late-afternoon window, where games often receive broad national distribution, lessening the need for the service.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
Meanwhile wages and benefits have typically been outpacing inflation this year, lessening the squeeze for many - so far.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
When it comes to our kids, our quest for optimization is not so much lessening anxiety as feeding it.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
We made our way around the edge of the meadow, keeping low, and saw, with the lessening of the rain, men moving about up at the house.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
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.
