lessen

verb

less·​en ˈle-sᵊn 

lessened; lessening ˈle-sᵊn-iŋ 

ˈles-niŋ

intransitive verb

: to shrink in size, number, or degree : decrease

The pain will lessen over time.

transitive verb

1

: to reduce in size, extent, or degree

lessen tensions between nations

2

a

archaic : to represent as of little value

b

: to lower in status or dignity : degrade

Synonyms of lessen

• reduce
• decrease

Choose the Right Synonym for lessen

decrease, lessen, diminish, reduce, abate, dwindle mean to grow or make less.

decrease suggests a progressive decline in size, amount, numbers, or intensity.

slowly decreased the amount of pressure

lessen suggests a decline in amount rather than in number.

has been unable to lessen her debt

diminish emphasizes a perceptible loss and implies its subtraction from a total.

his visual acuity has diminished

reduce implies a bringing down or lowering.

you must reduce your caloric intake

abate implies a reducing of something excessive or oppressive in force or amount.

the storm abated

dwindle implies progressive lessening and is applied to things growing visibly smaller.

their provisions dwindled slowly

Examples of lessen in a Sentence

Medication helps lessen the severity of the symptoms.

we lessened our efforts as it became clear they weren't having an effect

Recent Examples on the Web

While the new proposal slightly lessens the total match inventory, a far greater percentage of those games – 19 of 23 each season – will be true single-elimination encounters. — Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

It's become harder for NFL scouts to evaluate a prospect's hunger, but the fears of how players will react to making money have lessened. — Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

However, there are some experts that see the cut in military drills as a positive gesture, suggesting that if the joint exercises are escalating tensions, then reducing them should lessen the chance of a conflict. — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026

That strategy, designed to feed riders to trains and buses while lessening dependency on cars, led to the creation of Downtown Dadeland and clusters of towers and shops now rising around transit stations. — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for lessen

• cresson
• lesson
• delicatessen
• vasopressin

Kids Definition

lessen

verb

less·​en ˈles-ᵊn 

lessened; lessening ˈles-niŋ 

-ᵊn-iŋ

: to make or become less