alleggerire

to lighten

verb ahl-led-jeh-REE-reh Rare

Origin: From leggero (light), with prefix al- (ad-) + suffix -ire.

Also means

to ease

Usage Note

Alleggerire can mean to physically reduce weight (alleggerire un carico = to lighten a load) or to ease a burden metaphorically (alleggerire la tensione = to ease tension). The opposite is appesantire (to make heavier). It conjugates as a regular -ire verb with the -isc- infix in the present: alleggerisco, alleggerisci, etc.

Examples

"Dovresti alleggerire il tuo zaino prima del viaggio."

Natural Translation

You should lighten your backpack before the trip.

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