Decrease
Decrease verb - To make smaller in amount, volume, or extent.
Usage example: workers decreased the volume of water flowing through the pipes in order to prevent an overflow
Lessen is a synonym for decrease in reduce topic. In some cases you can use "Lessen" instead a verb "Decrease", when it comes to topics like quantity, drop, abate, relieve. popular alternative
Lessen
Lessen verb - To make smaller in amount, volume, or extent.
Usage example: we lessened our efforts as it became clear they weren't having an effect
Decrease is a synonym for lessen in reduce topic. You can use "Decrease" instead a verb "Lessen", if it concerns topics such as grow less, quantity, abate, relieve. popular alternative
Mutual synonyms
Common collocations
| sympathy | decrease sympathy | lessen sympathy |
| experience | decrease experience | lessen experience |
| power | decrease power | lessen power |
| stress | decrease stress | lessen stress |
| Other words: amount, chance, odds, time, security, effects, weight, effectiveness, morale, damage, losses, risk, costs, chances, tensions. | ||
Cite this Source
Lessen and Decrease. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 13, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/decrease/lessen
Decrease & Lessen. N.p., 2016. Web. 13 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/decrease/lessen>.
Lessen or Decrease. 2016. Accessed August 13, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/decrease/lessen.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "decrease" and "lessen" have occurred on timeline