lessen

Etymology

From less +‎ -en

Pronunciation

• enPR: lěʹsən, IPA^(key): /ˈlɛsən/
• Rhymes: -ɛsən

Verb

lessen (third-person singular simple present lessens, present participle lessening, simple past and past participle lessened)

1. (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.

2. (intransitive) To become less.

Anagrams

• Elsens, elsens, lenses, sensel

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɛsə(n)/

• Audio

  (file)

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.

Etymology 2

From les +‎ -en.

Etymology 3

See etymology on the main entry.

Etymology

les +‎ -jen

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈlɛʃːɛn]
• Hyphenation: les‧sen

Verb

lessen

1. third-person singular subjunctive present indefinite of les

Adjective

lessen

1. Alternative spelling of ledsen