Heikennä

Heikennä is a Finnish verb in the imperative mood, 2nd person singular form of the verb heikentää, meaning to weaken, diminish, or attenuate. It is used to tell someone to reduce the strength, intensity, or effect of something. The base infinitive is heikentää, and the imperative is formed from the stem heikenn- plus the ending -ä.

Plural form and usage notes: In standard Finnish, the 2nd person plural imperative is formed as heikennäkää. The singular form heikennä is the common command used when addressing a single person, while heikennäkää is used for addressing multiple people. The word is versatile and appears in formal, technical, and everyday language, often referring to reducing physical effort, influence, risk, or tension.

Examples:

- Heikennä jännitteitä neuvottelemalla rauhanomaisesti.

- Heikennä rasituksen määrää säätämällä kuorman pienemmäksi.

- Heikennä epävarmuustekijöitä keräämällä lisätietoa.

Etymology and related forms: Heikennä is derived from the verb heikentää, with the stem heikenn- and the imperative ending -ä. Related forms include heikentää (infinitive), heikentävä (participial adjective meaning weakening), heikennys or heikentäminen (the act or process of weakening), and the abstract noun heikennys. The concept also pairs with opposite ideas such as vahvistaa (to strengthen).

Usage context: The term is common in advisory and policy language, scientific writing, and practical instruction where the aim is to reduce undesirable effects, risks, or tensions. It is a neutral, action-oriented term without inherent connotations beyond the act of making something weaker or less pronounced.