Lessen vs. Decrease

Lessenverb

(transitive) To make less; to diminish; to reduce.

Decreaseverb

(intransitive) Of a quantity, to become smaller.

Lessenverb

(intransitive) To become less.

Decreaseverb

(transitive) To make (a quantity) smaller.

Lessenverb

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.

‘Charity . . . shall lessen his punishment.’; ‘St. Paul chose to magnify his office when ill men conspired to lessen it.’;

Decreasenoun

An amount by which a quantity is decreased.

‘One research team has recorded Baishui’s decrease at about 27 meters per year over the last 10 years. File:One research team has recorded Baishui’s decrease.ogg’;

Lessenverb

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.

‘The objection lessens much, and comes to no more than this: there was one witness of no good reputation.’;

Decreasenoun

(knitting) A reduction in the number of stitches, usually accomplished by suspending the stitch to be decreased from another existing stitch or by knitting it together with another stitch. See Decrease (knitting).

Lessenverb

decrease in size, extent, or range;

‘The amount of homework decreased towards the end of the semester’; ‘The cabin pressure fell dramatically’; ‘her weight fall to under a hundred pounds’; ‘his voice fell to a whisper’;

Decreaseverb

To grow less, - opposed to increase; to be diminished gradually, in size, degree, number, duration, etc., or in strength, quality, or excellence; as, they days decrease in length from June to December.

‘He must increase, but I must decrease.’; ‘The olive leaf, which certainly them toldThe flood decreased.’; ‘Crete's ample fields diminish to our eye;Before the Boreal blasts the vessels fly.’;

Lessenverb

make smaller;

‘He decreased his staff’;

Decreaseverb

To cause to grow less; to diminish gradually; as, extravagance decreases one's means.

‘That might decrease their present store.’;

Lessenverb

wear off or die down;

‘The pain subsided’;

Decreasenoun

A becoming less; gradual diminution; decay; as, a decrease of revenue or of strength.

Decreasenoun

The wane of the moon.

Decreasenoun

a change downward;

‘there was a decrease in his temperature as the fever subsided’; ‘there was a sharp drop-off in sales’;

Decreasenoun

a process of becoming smaller or shorter

Decreasenoun

the amount by which something decreases

Decreasenoun

the act of decreasing or reducing something

Decreaseverb

decrease in size, extent, or range;

‘The amount of homework decreased towards the end of the semester’; ‘The cabin pressure fell dramatically’; ‘her weight fall to under a hundred pounds’; ‘his voice fell to a whisper’;

Decreaseverb

make smaller;

‘He decreased his staff’;