What's the difference between depress and lessen?

Depress


Definition:

  • (v. t.) To press down; to cause to sink; to let fall; to lower; as, to depress the muzzle of a gun; to depress the eyes.
  • (v. t.) To bring down or humble; to abase, as pride.
  • (v. t.) To cast a gloom upon; to sadden; as, his spirits were depressed.
  • (v. t.) To lessen the activity of; to make dull; embarrass, as trade, commerce, etc.
  • (v. t.) To lessen in price; to cause to decline in value; to cheapen; to depreciate.
  • (v. t.) To reduce (an equation) in a lower degree.
  • (a.) Having the middle lower than the border; concave.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) He's Billy no-mates with a Heckler & Koch sniper-rifle, drowning in loneliness, booze and depression.
  • (2) Thyroid replacement led to resolution of both apnea and depression.
  • (3) During and after the infusion of 5HTP, none of the patients showed an increase in anxiety or depressive symptoms, despite the presence of severe side effects.
  • (4) Sixteen patients in whom schizophrenia was initially diagnosed and who were treated with fluphenazine enanthate or decanoate developed severe depression for a short period after the injection.
  • (5) Further, at the end of treatment fewer patients had depressive symptoms and the total daily number of hours of wellbeing and normal movement increased.
  • (6) The active agents modestly improved treadmill exercise duration time until 1 mm ST segment depression (3%), and only propranolol and diltiazem had significant effects.
  • (7) The ED50 and ED95 of mivacurium in each group were estimated from linear regression plots of log dose vs probit of maximum percentage depression of neuromuscular function.
  • (8) The data are compared with the results from 79 patients with a bipolar depression, 192 with a neurotic depression and 89 with a depressive reaction.
  • (9) A similar depressed receptor function was observed for C3b, fibronectin, and some lectins.
  • (10) From these results, it was suggested that the inhibitory effect of Cd on in vitro calcification of MC3T3-E1 cells may be due to both a depression of cell-mediated calcification and a decrease in physiochemical mineral deposition.
  • (11) Both treatments depressed nocturnal pineal melatonin content in rats and hamsters.
  • (12) Infusion of sodium lactate associated with isoproterenol could be used to combat the depressent effects of betablockers in patients with cardiac disorders.
  • (13) We studied the effects of the localisation and size of ischemic brain infarcts and the influence of potential covariates (gender, age, time since infarction, physical handicap, cognitive impairment, aphasia, cortical atrophy and ventricular size) on 'post-stroke depression'.
  • (14) The literature on depression and immunity is reviewed and the clinical implications of our findings are discussed.
  • (15) Subthreshold concentrations of the drug to induce complete blockade (5 x 10(-8)M) allowed to observe a greater depression of bioelectric cell characteristics in primary than in transitional fibres.
  • (16) However, a recrudescence in both psychotic and depressive symptoms developed as plasma desipramine levels rose 4 times higher than anticipated from the oral doses prescribed.
  • (17) These results indicate that the hormonal status should be taken into consideration in studies dealing with platelet MAO activity in depressed women.
  • (18) Three coyotes were operantly conditioned to depress one of two foot treadles, left or right, depending on the condition of the stimulus light.
  • (19) Although esmolol may be used as a primary hypotensive agent, the potential for marked myocardial depression must be recognized.
  • (20) Subjects who reported incidents of childhood sexual exploitation had lower levels of self-esteem and higher levels of depression than the comparison group.

Lessen


Definition:

  • (a.) To make less; to reduce; to make smaller, or fewer; to diminish; to lower; to degrade; as, to lessen a kingdom, or a population; to lessen speed, rank, fortune.
  • (v. i.) To become less; to shrink; to contract; to decrease; to be diminished; as, the apparent magnitude of objects lessens as we recede from them; his care, or his wealth, lessened.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) The transmission of alcoholism and its effects are thereby lessened for future generations of children of alcoholics.
  • (2) Bacteria can stop or lessen antibodies synthesis process.
  • (3) Behavioral variables, including interreinforcement interval and drug self-administration history, appear to be important determinants of whether or not reinforcement will be demonstrated, particularly among the benzodiazepines; but the range of conditions under which behavioral and pharmacological variables interact to promote or lessen the likelihood of self-administration of these drugs remains to be determined experimentally.
  • (4) "It is in my power to lessen their sentence – it's not excluded that that will happen."
  • (5) Diminished pressor responsiveness was considered to be due to concurrent reduction of central sympathetic vasomotor activity, because sympathetic nerve responses to hypothalamic stimulation were appreciably lessened in tripamide-treated SHR.
  • (6) The introduction of biological valves or of valves with a lessened risk of embolism is highly desirable in such cases.
  • (7) In this paper, these and related facts were summarized and some precautions were suggested to lessen the increase of resistant strains in this country.
  • (8) Recent improvements in surgical techniques and selective embolization have lessened the risks of surgical excision, decreased the blood loss, and diminished the time required for resection.
  • (9) We have previously shown that in the cat, taurine is an osmoprotective molecule that lessens mortality, neurological morbidity, and brain-cell dehydration during chronic hypernatremic dehydration.
  • (10) Rats given Sendai virus concurrently with the FCA, or any time after FCA was injected, did not have a lessened severity of the arthritic reaction, as compared with that in control animals.
  • (11) A decrease in relative risks since diagnosis of the first primary cancer was seen that may partly be attributed to a lessening of the intensity of medical surveillance with time.
  • (12) Incorporation of porosity into the grafts, which is necessary for tissue ingrowth, is expected to lessen this difference.
  • (13) The data strongly suggest that conferring the sick role on the mentally ill does not lessen rejection, but may, in some instances, increase social rejection.
  • (14) In contrast, hydroxyurea treatment was associated with a 1.5-fold to sevenfold increase in F cells and a 2.3- to 27-fold increase in the percentage of Hb F. In the three patients whose response reached a plateau, hydroxyurea treatment was associated with lessened hemolysis, decreased serum bilirubin and lactate dehydrogenase levels, and prolonged 51chromium-labeled RBC survival.
  • (15) O’Malley also called for: The relationship between federal immigration law enforcement and local law enforcement to be significantly lessened.
  • (16) Utilization of outpatient surgical centers helps reduce the cost of health care, lessens the disruption of patients' personal lives, and promotes their recovery through early ambulation and a lower incidence of postoperative nosocomial complications.
  • (17) It also lessened the hypertonus of isolated guinea-pig trachea caused by pilocarpine.
  • (18) The use of tissue allografts lessens patient morbidity and suffering and in many cases spares limbs and lives.
  • (19) Unlike acute combinations, chronic imipramine lessened the rate reducing effect of methadone.
  • (20) The results of a bronchial challenge to Aspergillus species, however, remained positive; these positive results suggest that long-term memory immune mechanisms may play an important role in the pathogenesis of hypersensitivity pneumonitis and lessen the importance of precipitins in establishing a diagnosis.