English > lessen: 3 senses > verb 1, change| Meaning | decrease in size, extent, or range. |
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| Pattern | Something ----s |
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| Synonyms | decrease, diminish, fall |
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| Entailed by | scale down | Reduce proportionally |
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| Narrower | abate, let up, slack off, slack, die away | Become less in amount or intensity |
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| boil down, reduce, decoct, concentrate | Be cooked until very little liquid / liquid is left |
| break | diminish or discontinue abruptly |
| break | fall sharply |
| de-escalate | diminish in size, scope, or intensity |
| decelerate, slow, slow down, slow up, retard | Lose velocity |
| decline, go down, wane | Grow smaller |
| decrescendo | Grow quieter |
| deflate | Become deflated or flaccid, as by losing air |
| depreciate, undervalue, devaluate, devalue | Lose in value |
| drop off | fall or diminish |
| dwindle, dwindle away, dwindle down | Become smaller or lose substance |
| ease up, ease off, slacken off, flag | Become less intense |
| remit | diminish or abate |
| shorten | Become short or shorter |
| shrink, contract | Become smaller or draw together |
| shrink, shrivel | decrease in size, range, or extent |
| shrivel, shrivel up, shrink, wither | wither, as with a loss of moisture |
| taper | diminish gradually |
| thin out | Become sparser |
| vanish, fly, vaporize | decrease rapidly and disappear |
| wane | Become smaller |
| wane | decrease in phase |
| weaken | Become weaker |
| Broader | change magnitude | change in size or magnitude |
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| Opposite | increase | Become bigger or greater in amount |
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| Spanish | consumirse, desmoronarse, disminuir, menguar, mermar, reducirse |
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| Catalan | atenuar, disminuir, esmorteir, minorar, mitigar, rebaixar, reduir, remetre |
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English > lessen: 3 senses > verb 2, change| Meaning | make smaller. |
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| Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something |
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| Synonyms | decrease, minify |
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| Narrower | abridge, foreshorten, abbreviate, shorten, cut, contract, reduce | Reduce in scope while retaining essential elements |
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| cut | Have a reducing effect |
| de-escalate, weaken, step down | Reduce the level or intensity or size or scope of |
| diminish, belittle | lessen the authority, dignity, or reputation of |
| limit, circumscribe, confine to | restrict or confine, "I limit you to two visits to the pub a day" |
| minimize, minimise | make small or insignificant |
| mitigate | make less severe or harsh |
| pare, pare down | decrease gradually or bit by bit |
| reduce, cut down, cut back, trim, trim down, trim back, cut, bring down | cut down on |
| reduce, boil down, concentrate | cook until very little liquid / liquid is left |
| shrink, reduce | Reduce in size |
| slack, slacken, slack up, relax | make less active or fast |
| slake, abate, slack | make less active / active / active or intense |
| suppress | Reduce the incidence or severity of or stop |
| turn down, lower, lour | make lower or quieter |
| Broader | change, alter, modify | Cause to change |
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| Opposite | increase | make bigger or more |
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| Spanish | decrecer, disminuir, menguar, mermar, reducir |
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| Catalan | decréixer, disminuir, reduir |
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