lessen

• POS: Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: less=en
• COUNT in NET: 2 in 2 verses (in OT : 2 in 2 verses)

CIDE DICTIONARY

lessen, v. t. [From Less, a.].

 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.  [1913 Webster]
"Charity . . . shall lessen his punishment."  [1913 Webster]
"St. Paul chose to magnify his office when ill men conspired to lessen it."

Syn. -- To diminish; reduce; abate; decrease; lower; impair; weaken; degrade.

lessen, v. 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.  [1913 Webster]
"The objection lessens much, and comes to no more than this: there was one witness of no good reputation."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

lessen, v.tr. & intr. make or become less, diminish.

THESAURUS

lessen

abate, ablate, abrade, abridge, abstract, allay, alleviate, allow for, amputate, anesthetize, appease, assuage, attemper, bank the fire, bate, be eaten away, benumb, blunt, chasten, clip, close, color, compress, constrain, consume, consume away, control, corrode, crop, crumble, curtail, cushion, cut, cut back, cut down, damp, dampen, de-emphasize, deaden, deaden the pain, decline, decrease, deduct, deflate, deliquesce, depreciate, depress, derogate, detract, die away, diminish, disparage, dive, downgrade, downplay, drain, drop, drop off, dull, dwindle, ease, ease matters, eat away, ebb, erode, extenuate, extract, fall, fall away, fall off, file away, foment, give relief, gloss over, ignore, impair, keep within bounds, languish, lay, leach, lenify, let up, lighten, lower, lull, make allowance for, melt away, mince, minify, mitigate, moderate, modulate, mollify, numb, obtund, pad, palliate, pare, play down, plummet, plunge, poultice, pour balm into, pour oil on, purify, reduce, reduce the temperature, refine, relieve, remove, restrain, retrench, roll back, rub away, run low, sag, salve, scale down, shorten, shrink, simplify, sink, slacken, slake, slow down, slur over, smother, sober, sober down, soft-pedal, soften, soothe, step down, stifle, stupe, subduct, subdue, subside, subtract, suppress, tail off, take away, take from, tame, temper, thin, thin out, tone down, truncate, tune down, underplay, varnish, wane, waste, waste away, weaken, wear, wear away, weed, whitewash, withdraw

ROGET THESAURUS

lessen

Decrease

VB decrease, diminish, lessen, abridge, shrink, drop off, fall off, tail off, fall away, waste, wear, wane, ebb, decline, descend, subside, melt away, die away, retire into the shade, hide its diminished head, fall to a low ebb, run low, languish, decay, crumble, bate, abate, dequantitate, discount, depreciate, extenuate, lower, weaken, attenuate, fritter away, mitigate, dwarf, throw into the shade, reduce, shorten, subtract.

Moderation

VB be moderate, keep within bounds, keep within compass, sober down, settle down, keep the peace, remit, relent, take in sail, moderate, soften, mitigate, temper, accoy, attemper, contemper, mollify, lenify, dulcify, dull, take off the edge, blunt, obtund, sheathe, subdue, chasten, sober down, tone down, smooth down, weaken, lessen, check palliate, tranquilize, pacify, assuage, appease, swag, lull, soothe, compose, still, calm, calm down, cool, quiet, hush, quell, sober, pacify, tame, damp, lay, allay, rebate, slacken, smooth, alleviate, rock to sleep, deaden, smooth, throw cold water on, throw a wet blanket over, turn off, slake, curb, tame, smooth over, pour oil on the waves, pour oil on the troubled waters, pour balm into, mattre de l'eau dans son vin, go out like a lamb, roar you as gently as any sucking dove.

Contraction

VB become small, become smaller, lessen, decrease, grow less, dwindle, shrink, contract, narrow, shrivel, collapse, wither, lose flesh, wizen, fall away, waste, wane, ebb, decay, be smaller than, fall short of, not come up to, render smaller, lessen, diminish, contract, draw in, narrow, coarctate, boil down, constrict, constringe, condense, compress, squeeze, corrugate, crimp, crunch, crush, crumple up, warp, purse up, pack, squeeze, stow, pinch, tighten, strangle, cramp, dwarf, bedwarf, shorten, circumscribe, restrain, (subtraction) 38 abrade, pare, reduce, attenuate, rub down, scrape, file, file down, grind, grind down, chip, shave, shear, wear down, become small, become smaller, lessen, decrease, grow less, dwindle, shrink, contract, narrow, shrivel, collapse, wither, lose flesh, wizen, fall away, waste, wane, ebb, decay, be smaller than, fall short of, not come up to, render smaller, lessen, diminish, contract, draw in, narrow, coarctate, boil down, constrict, constringe, condense, compress, squeeze, corrugate, crimp, crunch, crush, crumple up, warp, purse up, pack, squeeze, stow, pinch, tighten, strangle, cramp, dwarf, bedwarf, shorten, circumscribe, restrain, (subtraction) 38 abrade, pare, reduce, attenuate, rub down, scrape, file, file down, grind, grind down, chip, shave, shear, wear down.