abate
/əˈbeɪt/verb
no obj.
1- (of something perceived as hostile, threatening, or negative) become less intense or widespread减轻, 减弱：
the storm suddenly abated.
暴风雨突然减弱了。
1.1
- with obj. cause to become less intense使减轻, 使减弱：
nothing abated his crusading zeal.
没有什么能减弱他奋斗的热情。
1.2
- with obj. Law lessen, reduce, or remove (a nuisance)【律】减小, 减少, 消除（妨碍行为）。
词源
Middle English （in the legal sense 'put a stop to (a nuisance)'）： from Old French abatre 'to fell', from a- （from Latin ad 'to, at'） + batre 'to beat' （from Latin battere, battuere 'to beat'）.