lighten the workload

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'lighten the workload' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to talk about reducing the amount of work that needs to be done by someone. For example, "We should try to lighten the workload by delegating some of the tasks to other team members."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

Edward Baig discovers that certain apps lighten the workload for small businesses.

The New York Times

Aug. 28 -- With most of the staff on vacation, USA Today tries to lighten the workload by renaming itself "North Dakota Today".

The New York Times

But behind the scenes, McGwire has had a helping hand: an assistant hitting coach, someone to lighten the workload and offer a second set of instructive eyes.

The New York Times - Sports

"'While you're here could you help me with my answering machine or my VCR?' I've become one of the best-known embedded engineers in the world only to be slotted into programming VCR's for relatives".' Some have found ways to lighten the workload.

The New York Times - Tech

He advised me to make her wear clothes, but he wouldn't really say on what basis: to promote neighborhood harmony, to lighten the workload of child protection services and himself, to protect me from an investigation, or something else that I can't think of?

The New York Times

Throughout the day your coworkers were friendly and went out of their way to lighten the workload?

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

The good news is this limited offensive performance lightens the workload for those of us who will analyze this game's film later in the week.

The New York Times

They broadly agreed that the decrease in illegal crossers —down to about 340,000 migrants apprehended in 2011 from a peak of 1.1 million in 2005 — has lightened the workload for the police, but has also brought worrisome changes in the type of crimes they confront.

The New York Times

This marks the second time in less than six months Hector Rondon was replaced as closer, but Epstein and Maddon each called him to explain the team's plans to add depth to lighten the overall workload that might have led to the right triceps strain that sidelined him for most of five weeks late last season.

Los Angeles Times

Manufacturers may be tempted to use it to automate even more of the driving process and lighten the driver's workload further.

BBC

Lightening doctors' workload: the laser fiber is automatically operated by an active wrist in the MMS, which lightens the doctors' workload.

BioMed Research International

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When delegating tasks to "lighten the workload", ensure that each team member receives clear instructions and has the necessary resources to complete their assignments successfully.

Common error

Avoid delegating tasks simply to reduce your workload without providing adequate support or training. This can lead to errors, frustration, and ultimately increase the overall workload in the long run.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "lighten the workload" functions as a verb phrase used to describe the action of reducing the amount of work required. This is supported by Ludwig, which provides examples of its use in various contexts to convey this meaning.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

30%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "lighten the workload" is a grammatically sound and understandable phrase for indicating a reduction in the amount of work required. Ludwig AI confirms its usability and provides various examples from reliable sources, establishing it as an accepted expression. While not extremely frequent, it is commonly found in news, science and wiki content. To effectively "lighten the workload", consider delegating tasks clearly and providing adequate support. Remember that alternatives like "reduce the workload" or "ease the workload" can be used for variety.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

reduce the workload

Emphasizes a decrease in the amount of work.

ease the workload

Highlights making the work less difficult.

decrease the workload

Focuses on diminishing the volume of work.

simplify the workload

Suggests making the work easier to manage.

relieve the workload

Implies providing respite from heavy work.

alleviate the workload

Similar to relieve, but suggests a more persistent reduction.

lessen the workload

Directly indicates making the workload smaller.

minimize the workload

Suggests reducing the workload to the smallest possible amount.

streamline the work

Focuses on making the work process more efficient.

lighten the load

A more general phrase indicating reducing any kind of burden, not specifically work.

FAQs

How can I use "lighten the workload" in a sentence?

You can use "lighten the workload" to describe efforts to reduce the amount of work someone has. For example, "The new software is designed to "lighten the workload" of the customer service team."

What are some alternatives to saying "lighten the workload"?

Alternatives to "lighten the workload" include "reduce the workload", "ease the workload", or "decrease the workload", each emphasizing a reduction in the amount of work.

Is it better to "lighten the workload" or "reduce the workload"?

Both "lighten the workload" and "reduce the workload" are correct and can be used interchangeably. The choice often depends on the specific context and the desired emphasis.

What's the difference between "lighten the workload" and "lighten the load"?

"Lighten the workload" specifically refers to reducing the amount of work. "Lighten the load", on the other hand, is a more general phrase that can refer to reducing any type of burden, whether it's physical, emotional, or mental.