lessen
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Contents |
English [edit]
Pronunciation [edit]
Verb [edit]
lessen (third-person singular simple present lessens, present participle lessening, simple past and past participle lessened)
- (transitive) To make less; to diminish; to reduce.
- 2011 December 16, Denis Campbell, “Hospital staff 'lack skills to cope with dementia patients'”, 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.
- 2011 December 16, Denis Campbell, “Hospital staff 'lack skills to cope with dementia patients'”, Guardian:
- (intransitive) To become less.
Translations [edit]
to make less
to become less
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Anagrams [edit]
Dutch [edit]
Etymology 1 [edit]
From Middle Dutch lesschen, from a merger of two verbs:
- Old Dutch *leskan, from Proto-Germanic *leskanan; class 5 strong, intransitive. Cognate with Old High German leskan (German löschen).
- Old Dutch *lesken, from Proto-Germanic *laskijanan; class 1 weak, causative of the first verb. Cognate with Old Saxon aleskian, Old High German lesken (German löschen).
Verb [edit]
lessen
- to quench (thirst)
Conjugation [edit]
Conjugation of lessen (weak)
| infinitive | lessen | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| present tense | past tense | |||
| 1st person singular | les | leste | ||
| 2nd person singular | lest | leste | ||
| 3rd person singular | lest | leste | ||
| plural | lessen | lesten | ||
| subjunctive sing.1 | lesse | leste | ||
| subjunctive plur.1 | lessen | lesten | ||
| imperative sing. | les | |||
| imperative plur.1 | lest | |||
| participles | lessend | (hebben) gelest | ||
| 1) Archaic. | ||||
Etymology 2 [edit]
From les.
Verb [edit]
lessen
Conjugation [edit]
Conjugation of lessen (weak)
| infinitive | lessen | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| present tense | past tense | |||
| 1st person singular | les | leste | ||
| 2nd person singular | lest | leste | ||
| 3rd person singular | lest | leste | ||
| plural | lessen | lesten | ||
| subjunctive sing.1 | lesse | leste | ||
| subjunctive plur.1 | lessen | lesten | ||
| imperative sing. | les | |||
| imperative plur.1 | lest | |||
| participles | lessend | (hebben) gelest | ||
| 1) Archaic. | ||||
Noun [edit]
lessen
Swedish [edit]
Adjective [edit]
lessen
- Alternative spelling of ledsen.
