slighten
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]From slight + -en. Related to German schlichten (“to smoothen”). More at slight.
Pronunciation
[edit]Verb
[edit]slighten (third-person singular simple present slightens, present participle slightening, simple past and past participle slightened)
- (transitive, intransitive) To make or become slight; make or become less pronounced, less noticeable, or less obvious.
- 2004, D. L. Larson, Memories Trail, page 459:
- His smile slightened as if he knew they talked of him.
- 2007, Jack Womack, Elvissey:
- With tissue I softened my rouge, slightened my lipstick; studying my redesigns in my green compact's mirror I marveled, seeing yet another strange face.
- (transitive) To slight.
- 1920, Arthur Quiller-Couch, On the Art of Reading:
- […] as God forbid that anyone should hint a slightening word of what our sons and brothers are doing just now, and doing for us!
- 1997, Rajendra Kumar Sharma, Sociological Methods and Techniques, page 257:
- They may take ill or feel slightened for not having been approached directly.
- 1603 (first performance), Ben[jamin] Jonson, Seianus His Fall, London: […] G[eorge] Elld, for Thomas Thorpe, published 1605, →OCLC, (please specify the page):
- It is an odious wisdom to blaspheme, / Much more to slighten, or deny their powers
- (transitive, regional) To level out, smooth, or flatten.
- to slighten the sheets out