Synonyms of lessening

lessening 1 of 2

noun

1

as in reducing

Related Words

• reducing
• diminishing
• decreasing
• shortening
• curtailment
• contraction
• compression
• shrinking
• abridgment
• abruptness
• abbreviation
• shortness
• condensation
• brusqueness
• curtness
• tautness
• crispness
• brevity
• terseness
• conciseness
• succinctness
• briefness
• minuteness
• pithiness
• laconism
• compendiousness
• smallness
• tininess
• littleness

Dissimilar Words

• extending
• lengthiness
• extensiveness
• stretching
• prolongation
• extension
• prolonging
• elongation
• growth
• expansion
• elongating
• protraction
• spread
• diffuseness
• greatness
• prolixity
• largeness
• wordiness
• volubility
• bigness
• bulkiness
• talkativeness
• garrulousness
• verboseness
• talkiness
• long-windedness
• heftiness

2

as in depreciation

Related Words

• depreciation
• decrease
• lowering
• diminution
• reduction
• debasement
• destruction
• abasement
• diminishment
• disintegration
• havoc
• ruination
• decimation
• shrinkage
• ruin
• decomposition
• demolition
• crumbling
• dissolution
• downturn
• desolation
• decrement
• breakup
• loss
• deflation
• demolishment
• slump
• falloff
• sag
• spoiling
• decay
• dip
• abatement
• drop
• downtrend
• deterioration
• degradation
• downslide
• slip
• rotting
• drop-off
• dark age
• ebb
• sunset
• degeneration
• de-escalation
• decline
• degeneracy
• nadir
• eclipse
• devolution
• declination
• decadence
• downgrade
• downfall
• declension
• fall
• dégringolade
• descent

Dissimilar Words

• rise
• growth
• development
• evolution
• advancement
• ascent
• increase
• upswing
• restoration
• flowering
• renewal
• addition
• revitalization
• enhancement
• gain
• increment
• flourishing
• augmentation
• boost
• blossoming
• supplement
• raise
• heightening
• accrual
• accretion
• addendum

lessening

2 of 2

verb

present participle of lessen

1

as in decreasing

to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• reducing
• decreasing
• diminishing
• lowering
• minimizing
• easing
• depleting
• dwindling
• denting
• downsizing
• abating
• slashing
• cutting
• compressing
• knocking down
• dropping
• downscaling
• curtailing
• shrinking
• de-escalating
• shortening
• constricting
• paring
• contracting
• trimming
• condensing
• cutting down
• abridging
• whittling
• retrenching
• truncating
• modifying
• clipping
• nicking
• cutting back
• abbreviating
• cropping
• pruning
• modulating
• moderating
• deflating
• docking
• qualifying

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• increasing
• expanding
• augmenting
• enlarging
• escalating
• raising
• swelling
• amplifying
• boosting
• extending
• prolonging
• lengthening
• inflating
• dilating
• adding (to)
• blowing up
• supplementing
• enhancing
• intensifying
• aggrandizing
• complementing
• heightening
• distending
• elongating
• protracting
• redoubling

2

as in diminishing

to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually

the pain should begin to lessen within minutes of taking the medication

Synonyms & Similar Words

• decreasing
• diminishing
• subsiding
• easing
• declining
• shrinking
• falling
• vanishing
• lowering
• ebbing
• waning
• moderating
• dwindling
• tapering
• weakening
• receding
• dying (away or down or out)
• relenting
• draining (away)
• dropping (off)
• falling away
• tapering off
• ratcheting (down)
• abating
• remitting
• evaporating
• phasing down
• palling
• racheting (down)
• letting up
• alleviating
• de-escalating
• compressing
• constricting
• collapsing
• slackening
• melting (away)
• contracting
• condensing
• slowing (down)
• fading (away)
• tailing (off)
• frittering (away)
• relaxing
• giving out
• petering (out)
• flagging
• sinking
• deflating
• caving (in)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• increasing
• growing
• rising
• expanding
• swelling
• intensifying
• building
• mounting
• enlarging
• escalating
• accumulating
• burgeoning
• soaring
• emerging
• picking up
• appearing
• mushrooming
• snowballing
• waxing
• ballooning
• lengthening
• showing up
• blowing up
• elongating
• distending

3

as in weakening

to lower in character, dignity, or quality

blatant hypocrisy that lessened him in the eyes of the voters

Synonyms & Similar Words

• weakening
• degrading
• deteriorating
• corrupting
• diluting
• subverting
• poisoning
• damaging
• destroying
• humiliating
• debauching
• perverting
• debasing
• ruining
• cheapening
• depraving
• marring
• vitiating
• demeaning
• polluting
• impairing
• abasing
• warping
• prostituting
• disgracing
• thinning
• bastardizing
• demoralizing
• cankering
• harming
• contaminating
• tainting
• profaning
• hurting
• shaming
• wrecking
• humbling
• dirtying
• spoiling
• watering down
• tarnishing
• defiling
• dishonoring
• staining
• descending
• befouling
• depreciating
• begriming
• downgrading
• taking down
• defacing
• flawing
• blemishing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• improving
• elevating
• uplifting
• enhancing
• honoring
• ameliorating
• exalting
• amending
• bettering
• perfecting
• enriching
• ennobling
• restoring
• cleaning
• respecting
• clarifying
• refining
• dignifying
• purifying
• cleansing
• meliorating

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of lessening

Noun

Emerging markets such as India, which entered the top 20 markets two years ago and now ranks 15th for Swiss watch exports by size, and Mexico are also contributing to a lessening of the dependency on wavering top markets, in particular China. — Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 2 Sep. 2026

The good news for the Broadway ticket buyer is that there does not necessarily appear to be a lessening in the quality of these shows, despite their quick turnaround. — Katie North, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026

Tehran blames the foreign ministry of Lebanon, particularly foreign minister Youssef Raggi, for the ‘lessening of solidarity with Iran. — Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026

While appearing radical at the time, the revamping of scientific boards to include more industry representatives, the undoing of power plant rules and the lessening of enforcement hobbled but did not completely undo the agency. — Barbara Kates-Garnick, The Conversation, 26 Aug. 2025

Verb

McKinney has focused his campaign on lessening the city’s homelessness crisis by leveraging people into treatment, tackling quality-of-life crimes, and reducing the city’s out-of-control legal costs. — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026

Nearly the entire state remains in drought conditions, despite fall rain and the season’s first snows in the high country lessening the severity of the aridity. — Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 5 Oct. 2026

Going into his fourth season leading the Mets, the pressure isn’t lessening. — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026

House lawmakers have introduced a slew of new bills this month aimed at lessening the impact of gas and fuel prices on Americans' budgets, including floating a tax deduction. — Cj Haddad, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2026

This choice to comply, however, could potentially open discussions between the Clippers and the NBA about lessening the discipline. — Matt Schubert, New York Times, 14 Sep. 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

His approach sought to use technology to compensate for those shortages, lessening the burden of mobilization, which remains a sore point for Ukrainian society. — David Kirichenko, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

To push back, Julien Pouille, who leads the climate and health strategic team and is lead author of the report, argues that lessening reliance on petrochemical products would help mitigate rising medicine costs and improve the climate. — Ed Silverman, STAT, 30 July 2026