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

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

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

RiverLink also is included in the state’s Greater Hartford Mobility Program that lays out plans for encouraging alternate ways of getting around the region, lessening reliance on the motor vehicle. — Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 26 July 2026

Parts of northern Arizona were without power Saturday as the utility serving the area initiated a safety shutoff in hopes of lessening the wildfire risk. — Ty Oneil, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026

Parts of northern Arizona were without power Saturday as the utility serving the area initiated a safety shut-off in hopes of lessening the wildfire risk. — ABC News, 27 June 2026

The utility that serves the area initiated a safety outage in hopes of lessening the risk of wildfire in that area. — Ty Oneil, Arkansas Online, 26 June 2026

What are the risks of lessening the barrier to testosterone therapy? — Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 25 June 2026