(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.
Relent
Definition:
(v. i.) To become less rigid or hard; to yield; to dissolve; to melt; to deliquesce.
(v. i.) To become less severe or intense; to become less hard, harsh, cruel, or the like; to soften in temper; to become more mild and tender; to feel compassion.
(v. t.) To slacken; to abate.
(v. t.) To soften; to dissolve.
(v. t.) To mollify ; to cause to be less harsh or severe.
(n.) Stay; stop; delay.
Example Sentences:
(1) There was no chance of Visca relenting and in the 32nd minute he crossed for Zukanovic, whose weak header was saved easily by Darren Randolph.
(2) Anas, a nurse, had wanted her children to stay but she relented and sold her gold jewellery when her son Salim found a way to get to Brazil, where he now has asylum after failing to reach the US.
(3) His face was found carved into tree trunks all over Celtic lands and his hold over the early Britons was so powerful that early Christians relented and adopted the green man's image as a force for good and a symbol of new life and renewal.
(4) Initially, the Cabinet Office resisted giving details of Nesta's investment saying it was commercially confidential, but later relented following advice from the audit office.
(5) But I also take seriously my responsibility to the American people Barack Obama Asked by Republican governors on Monday whether he might relent in the case of a pipeline extension that supporters argue will have negligible impact on greenhouse gas emissions but has been a totemic issue for environmentalists, Obama reportedly told the group it “ain’t gonna happen”.
(6) But he'd usually relent and read them by Wednesday."
(7) Kim Davis is out of jail – will she relent and issue same-sex marriage licenses?
(8) By the time people relent and sign on, they've exhausted every option.
(9) When the broadcasters relented and included the Greens, the prime minister suggested that the Democratic Unionist Party should be included.
(10) Apple has relented and sweetly smooth MMS implementation is now available.
(11) "I am surprised at this decision since China wants to promote openness and the rule of law, and I hope that they will relent and let me in.
(12) Fearful of the connections his son had been forming back home, his father reportedly confiscated Abedi’s passport, relenting only when his son told him he was going on a pilgrimage to Mecca.
(13) Patrick Bamford signs new Chelsea deal and makes Crystal Palace loan move Read more Mourinho maintains the Premier League champions have dealt with the move for the 21-year-old, which could break the record for an English defender, in the correct manner and he will not relent in his pursuit.
(14) Thus, unless factors independent of or complicating the calcium stone disease supervene, the renal insufficiency of treated patients remains mild and relently progressive.
(15) When he wouldn't relent, she draped him with a white rosary for safe passage.
(16) Miliband relented, and Balls took the exam, including clapping rhythmically, in the formal, unforgiving atmosphere music examiners love to generate.
(17) Merkel is apparently in Paris on Monday to thrash this issue out with Sarkozy, just four days ahead of the next EU Summit but Merkel is extremely unlikely to relent.
(18) But Cameron was forced to relent and let loose the Eurosceptics in cabinet, who have fanned out to hit the Sunday papers and broadcasts.
(19) The Kremlin, whose long slide into autocracy shows no sign of relenting, made deals with several of them, knowing it would be easier to keep them on side than to open up Russia's economy to proper procedures, competition, and fair trade.
(20) But he said that it would give Channel 4 more flexibility in how the programming budget was spent, assuming the advertising recession relents.