lessened 1 of 2

adjective

as in diminished

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lessened

2 of 2

verb

past tense of lessen
1
as in reduced
to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent we lessened our efforts as it became clear they weren't having an effect

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2
as in decreased
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually the pain should begin to lessen within minutes of taking the medication

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3
as in weakened
to lower in character, dignity, or quality blatant hypocrisy that lessened him in the eyes of the voters

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lessened
Adjective
Kuminga then saw a combination of injuries and uneven performances lead to lessened playing time before eventually falling out of the rotation altogether. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026 Mitigators work in the other direction, articulating a spectrum of factors that might support lessened punishment, such as the defendant having no prior criminal record, or acting under significant duress. — Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026 After taking a lessened role in 2025, Texas Tech cornerback Maurion Horn will enter the transfer portal with one year of eligibility remaining, per multiple reports. — Ty Kaplan, Dallas Morning News, 2 Jan. 2026 An overloaded dryer leads to lessened airflow and, therefore, extended dry time. — Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Dec. 2025
Verb
However, nearly everything about the American approach to these concerns has lessened European confidence in Washington’s leadership and decision making. — Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Aug. 2026 It's become harder for NFL scouts to evaluate a prospect's hunger, but the fears of how players will react to making money have lessened. — Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 The safety concerns that come with bipedal robots—such as potentially falling over on a human worker—are lessened because a shipyard environment is staffed with workers who are trained to work around potentially dangerous industrial equipment. — Evan Ackerman, IEEE Spectrum, 17 Aug. 2026 Rutherford shares that, until now, a voyage like his would not have been possible, but warmer climates globally have drastically lessened the ice in the Arctic. — Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026 Likewise, the respite afforded by the twin hydration breaks has also reduced the need for improvised periods of gentlemanly repose, which in turn has lessened the demand for the chilly spray. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 July 2026 The decision doesn’t automatically remove him from the Cy Young conversation, but his workload, lessened by the six-man rotation, was already the biggest adjustment to his campaign. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026 Visibility lessened as the Cardinals tacked on a third-inning insurance run and, by the sixth inning, clearly began to affect play. — Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026 Late 19th and Early 20th Century Most Western states capitalized on the barriers imposed on divorce and lessened their residency requirements to shorten the length of time one had to reside in the state to be able to file for divorce. — Patricia Fersch, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lessened
  1. reduced
  2. decreased
  3. diminished
  4. weakened
  5. consumed
  6. subsided
  7. deteriorated
  8. depleted
Adjective
  • Inadequate planting holes or wrong-sized containers cause plants to wilt and may result in damaged foliage and reduced flowering.
    — Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Summary Several investor rights firms are threatening class actions against into Suja Life after its stock plummeted following disappointing Q2 earnings and reduced guidance, attributed to grocery channel weakness.
    — Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of reduced
Verb
  • In some cases, LinkedIn says views of content classified as AI spam have decreased by as much as 40 percent.
    — Gene Marks, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Travel data shows the average group size for trips has decreased since COVID-19 began.
    — Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of decreased
Verb
  • And the Ku Klux Klan, though diminished from its earlier power, had not disappeared.
    — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The value of a geographic component in roster management has diminished.
    — Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of diminished
Verb
  • Airstrikes have weakened the regime militarily but strengthened its standing internally.
    — Nate Swanson, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026
  • That mechanism has weakened substantially since the global financial crisis, and particularly since 2020.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of weakened
Adjective
  • Kennedy’s new pyramid places meat, dairy, fruit, and vegetables at the top (most consumed), and tapers down through fruits and vegetables to whole grains.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 31 July 2026
  • In Stoddart’s estimation, the best way to freeze these semi-consumed cakes is in slices.
    — Taylor Tobin, Southern Living, 2 Dec. 2025
Definition of consumed
Verb
  • After the smoke subsided, residents reported feeling effects from the stench of rotting meat and food from the warehouse interior, where it had been stored frozen on tall racks that were hundreds of feet across.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Washington and Tehran agreed in June to a 60-day ceasefire, allowing time to negotiate a more durable peace deal while active fighting subsided and the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of subsided
Verb
  • The Associated Press OSLO, Norway -- Crown Prince Haakon visited his father King Harald of Norway on Monday at the hospital, after the king's health deteriorated over the weekend, public broadcaster NRK reported.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Her defense says she was prescribed 13 medications over four months as her mental health deteriorated.
    — Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of deteriorated
Adjective
  • By the twentieth century, intensive farming practices had left the South dangerously vulnerable to erosion, producing depleted swaths of land where kudzu would later flourish.
    — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Being so depleted defensively led Liverpool to sign Uruguay international Ronald Araujo on a season-long loan from Barcelona earlier this month.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of depleted

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Cite this Entry

“Lessened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lessened. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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