Basic Details
Word: Mitigate
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: To make something less severe, serious, or painful.
Synonyms: Alleviate, reduce, lessen
Antonyms: Aggravate, intensify, worsen
Idioms and Phrases
- Mitigate the damage: To lessen or reduce the negative effects of something. Example: "The team worked hard to mitigate the damage after the storm hit the town."
- Mitigation measures: Actions taken to reduce the severity of something, often used in environmental contexts. Example: "The city has implemented mitigation measures to prevent flooding in the rainy season."
Usage Examples
Example 1: The engineers designed a new system to mitigate the risk of flooding during heavy rainfall.
Example 2: Schools are taking steps to mitigate bullying by promoting kindness and respect among students.
Example 3: By planting more trees, we can mitigate air pollution and improve the environment.
Fun Fact
The word "mitigate" comes from the Latin word "mitigare", which means "to soften". It has been used in English since the late 14th century!
Famous Quote
"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." Nelson Mandela. This quote speaks to the need to mitigate failures and rise again.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. What does "mitigate" mean?
a) To make worse
b) To make something less severe
c) To create
d) To ignore
Answer: b) To make something less severe
2. Which of these is a synonym of "mitigate"?
a) Reduce
b) Aggravate
c) Create
d) Increase
Answer: a) Reduce
3. Which of these is an antonym of "mitigate"?
a) Minimise
b) Alleviate
c) Worsen
d) Lessen
Answer: c) Worsen
4. In which sentence is "mitigate" used correctly?
a) The doctor prescribed medication to mitigate the patients pain.
b) She decided to mitigate her homework by skipping classes.
c) They wanted to mitigate the artwork with more colour.
d) He chose to mitigate his breakfast by adding more servings.
Answer: a) The doctor prescribed medication to mitigate the patients pain.
5. Which idiom refers to reducing negative effects?
a) Mitigate the damage
b) Break the ice
c) Hit the nail on the head
d) Under the weather
Answer: a) Mitigate the damage
