lessen
gb/lˈɛsən/ us/lˈɛsən/
B2
Inglés
~ 9400
csökkent, tompít, enyhít, kifakít, mérsékel, csökken, alábbhagy, enyhül, lanyhul
VERBO
B2
FORMAL
1
Patrón de uso:
to lessen [something]
The new safety measures are designed to lessen the risk of accidents at the factory.
Az új biztonsági intézkedések célja, hogy csökkentsék a gyárban a balesetek kockázatát.
Taking breaks during the day can help lessen stress at work.
A napközbeni szünetek segíthetnek csökkenteni a munkahelyi stresszt.
The government introduced tax cuts to lessen the financial burden on low‑income families.
He spoke slowly to lessen the chance of being misunderstood.
Planting trees along the road can help lessen the effects of air pollution.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
This medicine will lessen your pain.
Ez a gyógyszer enyhíteni fogja a fájdalmadat.
We need to wear masks to lessen the risk of illness.
Maszkot kell viselnünk, hogy csökkentsük a megbetegedés kockázatát.
A good plan can lessen problems later.
They added more staff to lessen the workload.
She turned off the lights to lessen the cost of electricity.
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes write *"less the risk"* instead of *"lessen the risk"*. "Less" is usually an adjective or adverb, while "lessen" is a verb meaning "to make something less." Another common mistake is saying *"lessen down"* or *"lessen up"*—"lessen" is used alone, without these extra particles. Learners may also overuse "lessen" in very casual speech where "cut" or "bring down" would sound more natural.
Significado
make something smaller or weaker
Colocaciones
lessen the impact
|lessen the risk
|lessen the pain
|lessen the burden
|lessen the chance
|lessen the effects
Sinónimos
reduce (Most common and general; slightly less formal than "lessen" and used in more contexts, including numbers and sizes.)
|
decrease (Very close in meaning; slightly more technical or mathematical than "lessen" in many contexts.)
|
alleviate (Often used for pain, problems, or suffering; suggests making something easier to bear rather than just smaller in amount.)
|
ease (Common for pain, tension, or pressure; focuses on making something feel less severe.)
Antónimos
increase (Opposite in amount or degree; something becomes larger or greater instead of smaller.)
|
worsen (Opposite in quality or severity; problems, pain, or conditions become more serious instead of less serious.)
|
intensify (Opposite in strength; feelings, efforts, or effects become stronger rather than weaker.)
Temas
daily life
|health
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Definición
To reduce how strong, big, or serious something is.
To make something smaller in amount, degree, strength, or seriousness.
VERBO
B2
FORMAL
2
Patrón de uso:
[something] lessens
As the evening went on, the noise from the party gradually lessened.
Ahogy telt az este, a parti zaja fokozatosan csökkent.
Her anger lessened after he apologized sincerely.
A haragja enyhült, miután őszintén bocsánatot kért.
The pain began to lessen once the medicine took effect.
When the rain lessened, we decided to walk home.
Public interest in the story slowly lessened over the following weeks.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
The pain will lessen in a few hours.
A fájdalom néhány órán belül enyhülni fog.
The rain is starting to lessen now.
Az eső most kezd csillapodni.
Her fear lessened when she saw her friend.
The traffic lessened after 8 p.m.
His stress lessened during the vacation.
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes use the passive form *"was lessened"* when no person or thing is doing the action, e.g. saying *"The pain was lessened"* instead of the more natural intransitive *"The pain lessened"*. Another issue is confusing this with comparative "less" and writing *"The pain was less and less"* where *"The pain lessened"* is shorter and more natural.
Significado
become smaller or weaker
Colocaciones
pain lessens
|tension lessens
|wind lessens
|symptoms lessen
|anger lessens
|demand lessens
Sinónimos
decrease (Neutral and very close in meaning; often used for numbers and measurable amounts as they go down.)
|
diminish (Slightly more formal; common for feelings, influence, or importance that slowly become weaker.)
|
subside (Often used for pain, anger, noise, or storms when they slowly become weaker and quieter.)
|
ease (Used especially for pain, tension, or worry as they become less strong or less uncomfortable.)
Antónimos
increase (Opposite in amount; numbers, levels, or quantities go up instead of down.)
|
grow (Opposite for size or intensity; something becomes larger or stronger instead of smaller.)
|
intensify (Opposite in strength; feelings, effects, or activities become more powerful rather than weaker.)
Temas
daily life
|health
|nature
|core_vocabulary
Definición
To slowly become less strong, big, or serious.
To become smaller in amount, degree, strength, or seriousness.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
lessen
AFI
GB/lˈɛsən/
US/lˈɛsən/
Sílabas y acento
lessen (1 sílaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (lessen)
Formas de la palabra
Verb
- Base: lessen
- 3rd Person Singular: lessens
- Present Participle: lessening
- Past: lessened
Familia de palabras
Expresiones
lessen the blow
1/lˈɛsən ðə blˈoʊ/
idiom
make bad news feel less harsh
To make bad news or a bad event feel less painful or less shocking.
Ejemplos
- To lessen the blow of the pay cut, the company offered extra vacation days.
- She tried to lessen the blow by telling him the bad news gently and in private.
lessen the impact
1/lˈɛsən ðə ˈɪmpækt/
fixed phrase
formal
reduce the effect of something
To make the bad results or strong effect of something smaller or weaker.
Ejemplos
- Better planning can help lessen the impact of natural disasters on local communities.
- They introduced flexible hours to lessen the impact of layoffs on employees' lives.
lessen the risk
1/lˈɛsən ðə ɹˈɪsk/
fixed phrase
formal
reduce the chance of danger
To make it less likely that something bad will happen.
Ejemplos
- Wearing a seat belt can greatly lessen the risk of serious injury in a crash.
- Regular exercise and a healthy diet can lessen the risk of heart disease.