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Lighten vs Mitigate - What's the difference?

lighten | mitigate | Synonyms |

Lighten is a synonym of mitigate.


As verbs the difference between lighten and mitigate

is that lighten is to alleviate; to reduce the burden of while mitigate is to reduce, lessen, or decrease.

lighten

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • To alleviate; to reduce the burden of.
  • To make light or lighter in weight.
  • To make less serious or more cheerful.
  • * Bible, Psalms xxxiv. 5
  • They looked unto him, were lightened .
  • To make brighter or clearer; to illuminate.
  • to lighten''' an apartment with lamps or gas; to '''lighten the streets
  • * Dryden
  • A key of fire ran all along the shore, / And lightened all the river with a blaze.
  • To become light or lighter in weight.
  • To become less serious or more cheerful.
  • To become brighter or clearer; to brighten.
  • To burst forth or dart, as lightning; to shine with, or like, lightning; to flash.
  • * Shakespeare
  • This dreadful night, / That thunders, lightens , opens graves, and roars / As doth the lion.
  • To emit or disclose in, or as if in, lightning; to flash out, like lightning.
  • * Shakespeare
  • His eye lightens forth / Controlling majesty.
  • To descend; to light.
  • * Book of Common Prayer
  • O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us.
  • To illuminate with knowledge; to enlighten.
  • * Sir J. Davies
  • Lighten my spirit with one clear heavenly ray.

    Conjugation

    (en-conj-simple)

    Derived terms

    * lighten up

    mitigate

    English

    Verb

    (mitigat)
  • To reduce, lessen, or decrease.
  • * 1795
  • Measures are pursuing to prevent or mitigate the usual consequences of such outrages, and with the hope of their succeeding at least to avert general hostility.
  • * 1813
  • But in yielding to it the retaliation has been mitigated as much as possible, both in its extent and in its character...
  • * 1896
  • Then they tell us that vaccination will mitigate the disease that it will make it milder.
  • * 1901 — , ch 7
  • Then I discovered the brilliance of the landscape around was mitigated by blue spectacles.
  • * 1920
  • The plague had not been kind to him, yet had left him this small furry thing to mitigate his sorrow; and when one is very young, one can find great relief in the lively antics of a black kitten.
  • To downplay.
  • Synonyms

    * (to reduce or lessen) check, diminish, ease, lighten, mollify, pacify, palliate

    Antonyms

    * (to reduce or lessen) aggrandize, aggravate, exacerbate, incite, increase, intensify, irritate, worsen

    Coordinate terms

    * (l)