Meaning

2 senses
  1. (transitive)To make less; to diminish; to reduce.

    a. 1686, Benjamin Calamy, a sermon Charity […] shall lessen his punishment.

    смягча́тьsmjaxčátʹ, уменьша́тьumenʹšátʹ, уме́ньшитьuménʹšitʹ

    зме́ншуватиzménšuvaty, зме́ншитиzménšyty

    make become smaller

  2. (intransitive)To become less.

    уменьша́тьсяumenʹšátʹsja, уме́ньшитьсяuménʹšitʹsja

    зме́ншуватисяzménšuvatysja, зме́ншитисяzménšytysja

Examples

21 sentences
  1. The pain has lessened a little.

    Біль трохи вщух. — deniko

    ruБоль немного утихла. — odexed

    deDer Schmerz hat ein wenig nachgelassen. — juwu

  2. What can be done to lessen the risk?

  3. The noise lessened gradually.

    Шум поступово зменшувався. — deniko

    ruШум постепенно уменьшался. — Balamax

  4. She tried to lessen her expenses.

    deSie versuchte, ihre Ausgaben zu mindern. — Esperantostern

  5. Pain is not lessened by crying.

    deWeinen hilft nicht gegen Schmerzen. — Esperantostern

Translations

5 languages
Українська
By meaning 2
to make less:
to become less:
Русский
By meaning 2
to make less:
to become less:

Origin

From Middle English lessenen, lasnen, equivalent to less + -en (verbal suffix).

From Middle English lessenen, lasnen, equivalent to less + -en (verbal suffix).

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

lessens, lessening, lessened, lessened
Base formlessen · to lessen
3rd person singularlessens
Present participlelessening
Past simplelessened
Past participlelessened

regular · Lesson

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, theylessen
he, she, itlessens

Past simpleLesson

all personslessened

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, theyhave lessened
he, she, ithas lessened

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill lessen

Synonyms

8 synonyms
Close in meaning

Word family

3 related words

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
lessen — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto