ease (verb)
111dispel — verb Syn: banish, drive away/off, chase away, scatter, eliminate, dismiss, allay, ease, quell Ant: form, give rise to …
112facilitate — verb Syn: make easy/easier, ease, make possible, smooth the way for, enable, assist, help (along), aid, promote, hasten, speed up Ant: impede …
113hinder — verb Syn: hamper, impede, inhibit, thwart, foil, delay, interfere with, slow down, hold back, hold up, restrict, handicap, hamstring Ant: ease …
114lessen — verb 1) exercise lessens the risk of heart disease Syn: reduce, make less/smaller, minimize, decrease, attenuate, narrow, moderate 2) the pain began to lessen Syn: grow less, grow smaller, decrease …
115loosen — verb 1) you simply loosen two screws Syn: undo, slacken, unfasten, detach, release, disconnect 2) her fingers loosened Syn: slacken, become loose, let go, ease 3) …
116relieve — verb 1) this helps relieve pain Syn: alleviate, mitigate, ease, counteract, dull, reduce 2) the helpers relieved us Syn: replace, take over from, stand in for, fill in for, substitu …
117soften — verb the compensation should soften the blow Syn: ease, alleviate, relieve, soothe, take the edge off, cushion, lessen, diminish, blunt, deaden …
118soothe — verb 1) Rachel tried to soothe him Syn: calm (down), pacify, comfort, hush, quiet, settle (down), appease, mollify; Brit. quieten (down) 2) an anaesthetic to soothe the pain Syn: ease, alleviate …
119startle — verb Syn: surprise, frighten, scare, alarm, shock, give someone a fright, make someone jump Ant: put at ease …
120subside — verb 1) wait until the storm subsides Syn: abate, let up, quieten down, calm, slacken (off), ease (up), relent, die down, diminish, decline 2) the flood has subsided Syn: recede …
