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Debase vs Lessen - What's the difference?

debase | lessen |

In lang=en terms the difference between debase and lessen

is that debase is to lower the value of (a currency) by reducing the amount of valuable metal in the coins while lessen is to become less.

As verbs the difference between debase and lessen

is that debase is to lower in character, quality, or value; to degrade while lessen is to make less; to diminish; to reduce.

debase

English

Verb

(debas)
  • To lower in character, quality, or value; to degrade.
  • (archaic) To lower in position or rank.Oxford English Dictionary , 2nd ed., 1989.
  • To lower the value of (a currency) by reducing the amount of valuable metal in the coins.

    • Synonyms

    * adulterate, degrade, demean

    Derived terms

    * debased * debasedness * debasement * debaser * undebased

    References

    Anagrams

    *

    lessen

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make less; to diminish; to reduce.
  • * Calamy
    • Charity shall lessen his punishment.
  • * Atterbury
    • St. Paul chose to magnify his office when ill men conspired to lessen it.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=December 16 , author=Denis Campbell , title=Hospital staff 'lack skills to cope with dementia patients' , work=Guardian citation , page= , passage=Many hospitals have not taken simple steps to lessen the distress and confusion which dementia sufferers' often feel on being somewhere so unfamiliar – such as making signs large and easy to read, using colour schemes to help patients find their way around unfamiliar wards and not putting family mementoes such as photographs nearby.}}
  • To become less.

    • Anagrams

    * * English ergative verbs ----