different between lessen vs assume

English

Etymology

From Middle English lessenen, lasnen, equivalent to less +? -en (verbal suffix).

Pronunciation

• enPR: l??s?n, IPA^(key): /?l?s?n/
• Rhymes: -?s?n
• Homophone: lesson

Verb

lessen (third-person singular simple present lessens, present participle lessening, simple past and past participle lessened)

1. (transitive) To make less; to diminish; to reduce.
   • a. 1686, Benjamin Calamy, a sermon

     Charity […] shall lessen his punishment.

   • December 6, 1709, Francis Atterbury, a sermon preach'd before the sons of the clergy at their anniversary-meeting in the Church of St. Paul

     St. Paul chose to magnify his office when ill men conspired to lessen it.
2. (intransitive) To become less.

Translations

Conjunction

lessen

1. (nonstandard, dialect) unless.

Anagrams

• Elsens, elsens, lenses, sensel

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?l?s?(n)/
• Rhymes: -?s?n

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch lesschen, from a merger of two Old Dutch [Term?] verbs:

• *leskan, from Proto-Germanic *leskan?; class 5 strong, intransitive.
• lesken, from Proto-Germanic *laskijan?; class 1 weak, causative of the first verb.

Verb

lessen

1. (transitive) to quench (thirst)

Inflection

Derived terms

• blussen

Etymology 2

From les +? -en.

Verb

lessen

1. (intransitive) to take a lesson (usually a driving lesson)

Inflection

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the main entry.

Noun

lessen

1. Plural form of les

Hungarian

Etymology

les +? -jen

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?l????n]
• Hyphenation: les?sen

Verb

lessen

1. third-person singular subjunctive present indefinite of les

Swedish

Adjective

lessen

1. Alternative spelling of ledsen

Anagrams

• selens

English

Etymology

From Latin ass?m? (“accept, take”), from ad- (“to, towards, at”) + s?m? (“take up, assume”).

Pronunciation

• (UK, North America) IPA^(key): /??sju?m/
• (UK)
• (US)
• (US, Canada) (yod dropping) IPA^(key): /??su?m/
• (yod coalescence) IPA^(key): /???u?m/
• (Nigeria) IPA^(key): /??zu?m/
• Rhymes: -u?m

Verb

assume (third-person singular simple present assumes, present participle assuming, simple past and past participle assumed)

1. To authenticate by means of belief; to surmise; to suppose to be true, especially without proof
   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:assume.
2. To take on a position, duty or form
   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:assume.
3. To adopt a feigned quality or manner; to claim without right; to arrogate
   • a. 1809,Beilby Porteus, sermon

     ambition assuming the mask of religion.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:assume.
4. To receive, adopt (a person)
5. To adopt (an idea or cause)

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:suppose

Related terms

Translations

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “assume”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

Anagrams

• Seamus, amuses

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.sym/

Verb

assume

1. first-person singular present indicative of assumer
2. third-person singular present indicative of assumer
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of assumer
4. second-person singular imperative of assumer

Anagrams

• amuses, amusés, massue, muasse, suâmes, usâmes

Italian

Verb

assume

1. third-person singular present indicative of assumere

Latin

Verb

ass?me

1. second-person singular present active imperative of ass?m?

Portuguese

Verb

assume

1. third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) present indicative of assumir
2. second-person singular (tu, sometimes used with você) affirmative imperative of assumir