Mitigate
mediumPositive toneMIT-ih-gayt
verb
Definition
To make less severe, serious, or painful
Memory hook
MITI-GATE: A gate that blocks the flood -- mitigate reduces the damage coming through.
Word roots
Learning roots unlocks whole word families. Study common GRE root words.
Examples
“The company took steps to mitigate the environmental damage.”
“Pain medication can help mitigate the symptoms.”
Test yourself
Fill in the blank with the right word:
“The company took steps to ______ the environmental damage.”
Show answer
mitigate
Synonyms
Antonyms
Categories
GRE Tip
Mitigate is a medium-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "alleviate" or "lessen" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "aggravate".
Related GRE Words
alleviate
To make suffering, deficiency, or a problem less severe
palliate
to make less severe without removing the cause; to ease or mitigate
ameliorate
To make something bad or unsatisfactory better
diminish
To make or become less
abate
To reduce in amount, degree, or intensity
qualify
To make less absolute; to modify or limit
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