lessen feelings

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "lessen feelings" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing the act of reducing or diminishing emotional responses or sentiments. Example: "To avoid conflict, it's important to find ways to lessen feelings of anger and frustration during discussions."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

This self-awareness, hopefully, can lessen feelings of envy".

Independent

Walking can elevate a person's mood, lessen feelings of depression and allow a person to think more clearly, he said.

BBC

If society compensates temporary workers for their higher risk by offering decent and accessible social security, this could lessen feelings of political marginalization or exclusion.

Journal for Labour Market Research

Connecting with others who are meaningful to you in a social environment can lessen feelings of boredom.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

But he also argues that botox to happiness wrinkles lessens feelings of happiness.

Huffington Post

If you've lost your job or are having trouble paying the mortgage or rent, caring for a companion animal provides a sense of purpose and fulfillment and lessens feelings of loneliness and depression.

Huffington Post

These studies found that music had a positive impact on a sense of self, helped to protect self-identity, lessened feelings of isolations and loneliness, helped the development of connecting with other people and provided an experience of spirituality.

Aging and Mental Health

Listening to music taps into your brain's imagination and sense of self-identity, boosts your self-esteem, and lessens feelings of isolation.

WikiHow

"When we become desensitized, we begin to block or lessen our feelings or our outward expression of those feelings," he tells me.

Vice

This will help lessen your feelings of inferiority, because it's hard to feel inferior when you're accomplishing your goals.

WikiHow

Just because she's becoming a celebrity does nothing to lessen my feelings for her.

The New York Times - Magazine

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming for clarity, specify which emotions are being lessened. For example, instead of "lessen feelings", try "lessen feelings of anxiety".

Common error

While "lessen feelings" is grammatically correct, it can sound overly formal in casual conversation. Consider more relaxed alternatives like "calm down" or "feel better" for informal settings.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "lessen feelings" functions as a verb phrase where "lessen" acts as a transitive verb and "feelings" serves as its direct object. It describes the action of reducing the intensity or impact of emotions, as exemplified by Ludwig's provided instances.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

32%

Wiki

32%

Science

36%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "lessen feelings" is a grammatically correct and usable expression that describes the act of reducing the intensity of emotions. While it's not overly common, according to Ludwig it appears in diverse contexts like news articles, scientific studies, and how-to guides. When using "lessen feelings", it's important to consider the context and specify the type of feelings being addressed for clarity. While suitable for formal writing, consider alternatives like "reduce emotions" or more casual phrases depending on the situation. The expression has a neutral to formal register and serves to communicate the process of mitigating or alleviating emotional intensity, as exemplified by the provided usages.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

reduce emotions

Focuses on the act of diminishing emotional states directly, without specifying the intensity, which makes it applicable across various contexts but potentially less precise than "lessen feelings".

alleviate emotions

Suggests providing relief from difficult emotions. Slightly more formal and emphasizes a sense of easing discomfort associated with the emotions.

mitigate emotions

Implies softening or moderating the impact of emotions, focusing on the reduction of their adverse effects.

dampen emotions

Evokes the idea of suppressing or restraining emotions, suggesting a decrease in their expression or intensity.

soften emotions

Suggests making emotions less harsh or severe, which could apply to both positive and negative feelings depending on the context.

appease emotions

Suggests calming strong feelings, particularly negative ones like anger or anxiety.

curb emotions

Indicates restraining or holding back emotions, implying a conscious effort to control their expression.

temper emotions

Suggests moderating or regulating emotions to achieve a balanced state.

moderate emotions

Emphasizes maintaining emotions within reasonable limits, implying a controlled response.

diminish emotions

Directly indicates a reduction in the strength or intensity of emotions, emphasizing a measurable decrease.

FAQs

How can I use "lessen feelings" in a sentence?

You can use "lessen feelings" to describe the act of reducing the intensity of emotions. For instance, "Mindfulness practices can "help lessen feelings of anxiety"".

What are some alternatives to "lessen feelings"?

Alternatives include "reduce emotions", "alleviate emotions", or "mitigate emotions". The best choice depends on the specific context and the nuance you want to convey.

Is it more appropriate to say "lessen feelings" or "reduce feelings"?

Both "lessen feelings" and "reduce feelings" are correct, but "lessen" often implies a gradual or subtle reduction, while "reduce" can suggest a more direct or significant decrease.

What's the difference between "lessen feelings" and "suppress feelings"?

"Lessen feelings" suggests a reduction in intensity, whereas "suppress feelings" implies actively holding back or concealing emotions, which can sometimes be unhealthy.