different between lessen vs pacify

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 Middle French pacifier, from Latin p?x (“peace”) + verb faci? (“I do, make”).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /?pæs?fa?/, /?pæs?fa?/

Verb

pacify (third-person singular simple present pacifies, present participle pacifying, simple past and past participle pacified)

1. (transitive) To bring peace to (a place or situation), by ending war, fighting, violence, anger or agitation.
2. (transitive) To appease (someone).

Synonyms

• allay
• locarnize

Derived terms

• pacifier

Related terms

Translations