Lay and Lessen

Opposite meaning words

Lay verb - To establish or apply as a charge or penalty.

Usage example: state officials tried to lay a tax on merchandise sold over the Internet

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Lessen is an antonym for lay.

Nearby Words: laying, laid

Lessen verb - To make smaller in amount, volume, or extent.

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Lay is an antonym for lessen.

Nearby Words: lessening, less

little	lay little	lessen little
curses	lay curses	lessen curses

Cite this Source

Lessen and Lay. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 13, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/lay/lessen

Lay & Lessen. N.p., 2016. Web. 13 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/lay/lessen>.

Lessen or Lay. 2016. Accessed August 13, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/lay/lessen.

Google Ngram Viewer shows how "lay" and "lessen" have occurred on timeline