Lengthen and Lessen

Lengthen

Lengthen verb - To make longer.
Usage example: I had to lengthen the handle of the paint roller in order to reach the top of the wall

Lessen is an antonym for lengthen in extend topic.

Nearby Words: length, lengthy, lengthening

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

Lengthen is an antonym for lessen in lower topic.

Nearby Words: lessening, less

Common collocations

odds lengthen odds lessen odds
time lengthen time lessen time
bit lengthen bit lessen bit
Cite this Source
Lessen and Lengthen. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/lengthen/lessen
Lengthen & Lessen. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/lengthen/lessen>.
Lessen or Lengthen. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/lengthen/lessen.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "lengthen" and "lessen" have occurred on timeline