Mitigate
Meaning: To make something bad less severe, serious, or painful.
Examples
- Planting trees along city streets can mitigate the urban heat island effect by shading pavement and cooling the surrounding air.
- The historian notes that the treaty mitigated, but did not eliminate, tensions between the two trading powers.
Synonyms and antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Memory tip
Think of an oven mitt: it doesn't remove the heat, it just lessens the burn. Don't confuse it with "militate," which means to work against something.
Practice question
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
To ______ the risk of flooding, the town restored wetlands that absorb heavy rainfall before it reaches homes.
Answer: B) mitigate
Wetlands that absorb rainfall reduce the flood risk; they don't remove it entirely.
Make “mitigate” stick
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Practice with flashcardsMore SAT words
ordinary and dull
ostensiblyapparently, but maybe not really
reconciliationthe restoring of friendly relations after a conflict
restrainedcontrolled and moderate
scrutinizeto examine closely and carefully
submissivereadily yielding to the control or authority of others
superficialon the surface only
surreptitiousdone secretly, to avoid being noticed