Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Lessen
Less′en
(lĕs′’n)
, Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Lessened
(-’nd)
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Lessening
.] [From ]
Less
, Adj.
To make less; to reduce; to make smaller, or fewer; to diminish; to lower; to degrade;
as, to
lessen
a kingdom, or a population; to lessen
speed, rank, fortune.Charity . . . shall
lessen
his punishment. Calamy.
Syn. – To diminish; reduce; abate; decrease; lower; impair; weaken; degrade.
Less′en
,Verb.
I.
To become less; to shrink; to contract; to decrease; to be diminished;
as, the apparent magnitude of objects
lessens
as we recede from them; his care, or his wealth, lessened
.The objection
lessens
much, and comes to no more than this: there was one witness of no good reputation. Atterbury.
Webster 1828 Edition
Lessen
LESS'EN
,Verb.
T.
1.
To make less; to diminish; to reduce in bulk, size, quantity, number or amount; to make smaller; as, to lessen a kingdom or its population.2.
To diminish in degree, state of quality; as, awkward manners tend to lessen our respect for men of merit.3.
To degrade; to reduce in dignity.St. Paul chose to magnify his office, when ill men conspired to lessen it.
LESS'EN
,Verb.
I.
1.
To become less; to shrink; to contract in bulk, quantity, number or amount; to be diminished. The apparent magnitude of objects lessens as we recede from them.2.
To become less in degree, quality or intensity; to decrease. The strength of the body, and the vivacity of the temper usually lessen as we advance in age.Definition 2024
lessen
lessen
English
Verb
lessen (third-person singular simple present lessens, present participle lessening, simple past and past participle lessened)
- (transitive) To make less; to diminish; to reduce.
- Calamy
- Charity […] shall lessen his punishment.
- Atterbury
- St. Paul chose to magnify his office when ill men conspired to lessen it.
- 2011 December 16, Denis Campbell, “Hospital staff 'lack skills to cope with dementia patients'”, in Guardian:
- Many hospitals have not taken simple steps to lessen the distress and confusion which dementia sufferers' often feel on being somewhere so unfamiliar – such as making signs large and easy to read, using colour schemes to help patients find their way around unfamiliar wards and not putting family mementoes such as photographs nearby.
- Calamy
- (intransitive) To become less.
Translations
to make less
to become less
Anagrams
Dutch
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈlɛsə(n)/
Etymology 1
From Middle Dutch lesschen, from a merger of two Old Dutch [Term?] verbs:
- *leskan, from Proto-Germanic *leskaną; class 5 strong, intransitive.
- *lesken, from Proto-Germanic *laskijaną; class 1 weak, causative of the first verb.
Verb
lessen
- (transitive) to quench (thirst)
Inflection
| Inflection of lessen (weak) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| infinitive | lessen | |||
| past singular | leste | |||
| past participle | gelest | |||
| infinitive | lessen | |||
| gerund | lessen n | |||
| verbal noun | — | |||
| present tense | past tense | |||
| 1st person singular | les | leste | ||
| 2nd person sing. (jij) | lest | leste | ||
| 2nd person sing. (u) | lest | leste | ||
| 2nd person sing. (gij) | lest | leste | ||
| 3rd person singular | lest | leste | ||
| plural | lessen | lesten | ||
| subjunctive sing.1 | lesse | leste | ||
| subjunctive plur.1 | lessen | lesten | ||
| imperative sing. | les | |||
| imperative plur.1 | lest | |||
| participles | lessend | gelest | ||
| 1) Archaic. | ||||
Derived terms
Etymology 2
Verb
lessen
Inflection
| Inflection of lessen (weak) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| infinitive | lessen | |||
| past singular | leste | |||
| past participle | gelest | |||
| infinitive | lessen | |||
| gerund | lessen n | |||
| verbal noun | — | |||
| present tense | past tense | |||
| 1st person singular | les | leste | ||
| 2nd person sing. (jij) | lest | leste | ||
| 2nd person sing. (u) | lest | leste | ||
| 2nd person sing. (gij) | lest | leste | ||
| 3rd person singular | lest | leste | ||
| plural | lessen | lesten | ||
| subjunctive sing.1 | lesse | leste | ||
| subjunctive plur.1 | lessen | lesten | ||
| imperative sing. | les | |||
| imperative plur.1 | lest | |||
| participles | lessend | gelest | ||
| 1) Archaic. | ||||
Etymology 3
Non-lemma forms.
Noun
lessen
- Plural form of les
Hungarian
Etymology
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈlɛʃːɛn]
- Hyphenation: les‧sen
Verb
lessen
- third-person singular subjunctive present indefinite of les