Mitigate
/ˈmɪtɪˌɡeɪt/
verbB2
Definition
Mitigate means to reduce the bad effects of something difficult or harmful. When you mitigate a problem, you try to make it smaller or less serious. This word is often used in situations like reducing damage, risk, or pain.
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See It in Action
To reduce the severity or bad effects of something
- •The government took steps to mitigate the effects of the flood.
- •Wearing a helmet can mitigate the risk of head injury.
- •Measures were put in place to mitigate pollution in the city.
To make a problem, pain, or risk less serious
- •The doctor gave medicine to mitigate the patient’s pain.
- •We tried to mitigate the impact of the mistake by apologizing quickly.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "mitigate" like "help," but more specific: it means to help by making a problem smaller or easier, not just any help.
- ✓Picture putting a soft blanket on a hard floor to make it less uncomfortable—that is mitigating the hard floor.
- ✓It’s the feeling when you give medicine to reduce pain, not to remove it completely but to make it easier to bear.
- ✓Sounds like "MIT-ih-gate" → imagine a gate that lets some bad things through but blocks or slows most of them.
- ✓Think of a story where a hero uses a shield to reduce damage from an attack, not to stop it completely but to make it less harmful.
- ✓NOT like "fix" (which means to make something perfect or completely right), "mitigate" means to make the problem less bad, not fully solved.
- ✓NOT like "ignore" (which means to do nothing), "mitigate" means to take action to reduce harm.
- ✓NOT like "prevent" (which means to stop something before it happens), "mitigate" means to reduce the effect after or during the problem.
Try Other Words
- •Lessen: to make smaller or less strong (Use when the focus is on lowering the size or amount of something)
- •Alleviate: to make pain or problems less severe (Use when talking about reducing pain or difficulty)
- •Soften: to make less hard or severe (Use in both physical and emotional contexts)
Unboxing
- •Prefix: "miti-" from Latin "mitis" meaning "mild" or "soft"
- •Root: related to "mitigare" in Latin, meaning to soften or make mild
- •Etymology: Latin origin, originally meaning to soften or reduce harshness
- •Historical development: Used in English since the 15th century to mean making something less severe or harsh
- •Modern usage: Commonly used in formal or technical contexts to talk about reducing risks, problems, or bad effects
Reflect & Connect
•What are some situations in your life where you have tried to mitigate a problem or difficulty?
•How does the idea of mitigating a problem differ from completely solving it, and why might that be important?
Fill in the blanks
1.To mitigate the damage caused by the storm, the city built ___ barriers and improved drainage systems.
2.When you want to mitigate stress, it helps to ___ your daily workload and take breaks.
3.Unlike stopping a problem completely, to mitigate means to make the problem ___ bad or easier to handle.
4.The company tried to mitigate the effects of the mistake by offering ___ to customers.
5.People often use the word mitigate with ___ like "risk," "damage," or "pain" because it means to reduce these negative things.
6.After the accident, the doctor gave medicine to mitigate the ___ the patient was feeling.
7.If you hear about a plan to mitigate climate change, you can expect actions that try to ___ the harmful effects, not stop them immediately.