lessen

/ˈlesn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈlesn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈle-sᵊn/ (ame, mw)

lessen — verb

  • lessenpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • lessenshe / she / it
  • lessenedpast simple
  • lessening-ing form

1. to become smaller in size, strength, or degree; or to make something smaller in

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

to become smaller in size, strength, or degree; or to make something smaller in size, strength, or degree — for example, pain that lessens after taking medicine, or a company that lessens its costs to avoid losing money.

例句

Taking the medicine helped lessen the pain in Sofia's knee after the long run.

transitive: lessen + object (pain)

Dr. Chen said the rain would lessen by the afternoon, so we could go outside.

intransitive: [rain] lessens

同義詞
  • reduce

    more active/deliberate; 'reduce costs' implies a conscious effort while 'lessen costs' focuses on the result

  • decrease

    more neutral and factual; often used in statistics or measurements

  • diminish

    slightly more formal; suggests a progressive wearing away

  • ease

    specific to pain, worry, or difficulty; softer in tone

反義詞
  • increase

    direct opposite — to become greater in size or degree

  • intensify

    suggests making something stronger or more extreme

  • strengthen

    opposite of making something weaker

文法句型

lessen [noun]

[noun] lessens

用法筆記

Can be used both transitively (lessen something) and intransitively (something lessens). Often describes a gradual reduction rather than a sudden drop. The subject is commonly an abstract noun (pain, fear, tension, risk, impact).

常見錯誤

❌The cook lessened the cake by cutting it in half.
✅The cook made the cake smaller by cutting it in half.
💡'lessen' is not used for physical size changes of concrete objects; use 'make smaller' or 'reduce' instead.
❌She lessened the volume of the music suddenly.
✅She lowered the volume of the music suddenly.
💡For a quick, deliberate action, 'lower' or 'turn down' is more natural than 'lessen,' which implies gradualness.

2. to make someone or something seem less important, valuable, or worthy of respect

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

to make someone or something seem less important, valuable, or worthy of respect — for example, a critic who lessens an artist's reputation by focusing only on their mistakes.

例句

The critic's harsh review lessened the artist's reputation in the local community.

transitive: lessen + [someone's] reputation

Wei felt that the manager's joke lessened the seriousness of the safety meeting.

transitive: lessen + abstract noun (seriousness)

同義詞
  • belittle

    more common and direct; focuses on making someone feel small

  • diminish

    overlaps with both senses; in this context suggests undermining status or worth

  • disparage

    more active in tone; implies speaking negatively about someone

  • degrade

    stronger; suggests lowering someone's moral or social position

反義詞
  • elevate

    to raise someone's status or importance

  • praise

    to express approval and admiration

  • honor

    to give respect and recognition

文法句型

lessen [someone] + in/by + noun phrase

lessen [someone's] + abstract noun

用法筆記

Typically transitive. Often followed by an abstract noun such as 'reputation,' 'importance,' 'value,' 'achievement,' or 'seriousness.' More formal than 'belittle' or 'put down.' In modern usage, this sense is less common than sense 1 and is mostly found in formal or literary writing.

常見錯誤

❌He lessened his brother by telling a joke.
✅He belittled his brother by telling a joke at his expense.
💡'lessen' in this sense needs an object like 'reputation' or 'achievement'; 'belittle' is more natural for attacking a person directly.