mitigate

• POS: Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: mit=i=gate

CIDE DICTIONARY

mitigate, v. t. [L. mitigatus, p. p. of mitigare to soften, mitigate; mitis mild, soft + the root of agere to do, drive.].

•  To make less severe, intense, harsh, rigorous, painful, etc.; to soften; to meliorate; to alleviate; to diminish; to lessen; as, to mitigate heat or cold; to mitigate grief.  [1913 Webster]
•  To make mild and accessible; to mollify; -- applied to persons.  [1913 Webster]

  "This opinion . . . mitigated kings into companions."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To alleviate; assuage; allay. See Alleviate.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

mitigate, v.tr. make milder or less intense or severe; moderate (your offer certainly mitigated their hostility).

Idiom

mitigating circumstances Law circumstances permitting greater leniency.

Usage

Often confused with militate.

Derivative

mitigable adj. mitigation n. mitigator n. mitigatory adj.

Etymology

ME f. L mitigare mitigat- f. mitis mild

THESAURUS

mitigate

abate, accommodate, adapt, adjust, adjust to, allay, alleviate, allow for, alter, ameliorate, anesthetize, appease, assuage, attemper, attenuate, bank the fire, bate, be changed, be converted into, be renewed, benumb, better, blunt, bottom out, box in, break, break up, calm, change, chasten, checker, chop, chop and change, circumscribe, color, come about, come around, come round, condition, constrain, control, convert, cramp, cripple, cushion, damp, dampen, de-emphasize, deaden, deaden the pain, debilitate, decrease, deform, degenerate, denature, deteriorate, deviate, devitalize, dilute, diminish, diverge, diversify, downplay, dull, ease, ease matters, ease off, ease up, enervate, enfeeble, eviscerate, exhaust, extenuate, fit, flop, foment, give relief, gloss over, gruel, haul around, hedge, hedge about, ignore, improve, jibe, keep within bounds, lay, lay low, leaven, lenify, lessen, let down, let up, let up on, lighten, limit, loose, loosen, lull, make allowance for, meliorate, mince, moderate, modify, modulate, mollify, mutate, narrow, numb, obtund, overthrow, pad, palliate, placate, play down, poultice, pour balm into, pour oil on, qualify, rattle, re-create, realign, rebuild, reconstruct, redesign, reduce, reduce the temperature, refit, reform, regulate by, relax, relieve, remake, remit, renew, reshape, restrain, restrict, restructure, revamp, revive, ring the changes, salve, sap, season, set conditions, set limits, shake, shake up, shift, shift the scene, shuffle the cards, slack, slack off, slack up, slacken, slake, slow down, slur over, smother, sober, sober down, soft-pedal, soften, soften up, soothe, stifle, still, stupe, subdue, subvert, suppress, swerve, tack, take a turn, tame, temper, tone down, tune down, turn, turn aside, turn into, turn the corner, turn the scale, turn the tables, turn the tide, turn upside down, unbend, unbrace, undergo a change, undermine, underplay, unman, unnerve, unstrain, unstrengthen, unstring, varnish, vary, veer, warp, water down, weaken, whitewash, work a change, worsen

ROGET THESAURUS

mitigate

Improvement

VB improve, be better, become better, get better, mend, amend, advance, ascend, increase, fructify, ripen, mature, pick up, come about, rally, take a favorable turn, turn over a new leaf, turn the corner, raise one's head, sow one's wild oats, recover, be better, be improved by, turn to right account, turn to good account, turn to best account, profit by, reap the benefit of, make good use of, make capital out of, place to good account, render better, improve, mend, amend, better, ameliorate, meliorate, correct, decrassify, improve upon, refine upon, rectify, enrich, mellow, elaborate, fatten, promote, cultivate, advance, forward, enhance, bring forward, bring on, foster, invigorate, touch up, rub up, brush up, furbish up, bolster up, vamp up, brighten up, warm up, polish, cook, make the most of, set off to advantage, prune, repair, put in order, review, revise, make corrections, make improvements, doctor, purify, relieve, refresh, infuse new blood into, recruit, reform, remodel, reorganize, new model, view in a new light, think better of, appeal from Philip drunk to Philip sober, palliate, mitigate, lessen an evil.

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.

Inactivity

VB be inactive, do nothing, move slowly, let the grass grow under one's feet, take one's time, dawdle, drawl, droil, lag, hang back, slouch, loll, lollop, lounge, poke, loaf, loiter, go to sleep over, sleep at one's post, ne battre que d'une aile, take it easy, take things as they come, lead an easy life, vegetate, swim with the stream, eat the bread of idleness, loll in the lap of luxury, loll in the lap of indolence, waste time, consume time, kill time, lose time, burn daylight, waste the precious hours, idle away time, trifle away time, fritter away time, fool away time, spend time in, take time in, peddle, piddle, potter, pudder, dabble, faddle fribble, fiddle-faddle, dally, dilly-dally, sleep, slumber, be asleep, hibernate, oversleep, sleep like a top, sleep like a log, sleep like a dormouse, sleep soundly, heavily, doze, drowze, snooze, nap, take a nap, dream, snore one's best, settle to sleep, go to sleep, go off to sleep, doze off, drop off, fall asleep, drop asleep, close the eyes, seal up the eyes, seal up eyelids, weigh down the eyelids, get sleep, nod, yawn, go to bed, turn, get some z's, stack z's, languish, expend itself, flag, hang fire, relax, render idle, sluggardize, mitigate.

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.

Relief

VB relieve, ease, alleviate, mitigate, palliate, soothe, salve, soften, soften down, foment, stupe, poultice, assuage, allay, cheer, comfort, console, enliven, encourage, bear up, pat on the back, give comfort, set at ease, gladden the heart, cheer the heart, inspirit, invigorate, remedy, cure, refresh, pour balm into, pour oil on, smooth the ruffled brow of care, temper the wind to the shorn lamb, lay the flattering unction to one's soul, disburden, take a load off one's chest, get a load off one's chest, take off a load of care, be relieved, breathe more freely, draw a long breath, take comfort, dry the tears, dry the eyes, wipe the tears, wipe the eyes.