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lessening
less·en
/
ˈlɛs
ən
/
Show Spelled
[
les
-
uh
n
]
Show IPA
verb (used without object)
1.
to become less.
verb (used with object)
2.
to make less; reduce.
3.
Archaic.
to represent as less; depreciate; disparage.
Origin:
1300–50;
late Middle English
lessenen, lasnen
(see
less
,
-en
1
); replacing
Middle English
lessen
Related forms
un·less·ened,
adjective
Can be confused:
lessen,
lesson
.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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lessening
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Lessening
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Collins
World English Dictionary
lessen
(ˈlɛs
ə
n)
—
vb
1.
to make or become less
2.
(
tr
) to make little of
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
lessen
"to become less," c.1300, from
less
(q.v.). Related: Lessened; lessening.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Matching Quote
"In different life prints, stress will be felt intensely at different times. The woman who is trying to juggle young children and a demanding job may feel the most pressure in her late twenties and early thirties, but by her forties her investment in the job will be paying off and the demands of the family will be
lessening
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Synonyms
reduction
discount
decline
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