All 3 Uses of
mitigate
in
Middlemarch
- Such a lady gave a neighborliness to both rank and religion, and mitigated the bitterness of uncommuted tithe.†
Chpt 1 *mitigated = made less harmful or unpleasant
- His marriage seemed an unmitigated calamity; and he was afraid of going to Rosamond before he had vented himself in this solitary rage, lest the mere sight of her should exasperate him and make him behave unwarrantably.†
Chpt 8unmitigated = complete (not diminished) -- usually used to say that something that is harmful or unpleasant is not in any way made less badstandard prefix: The prefix "un-" in unmitigated means not and reverses the meaning of mitigated. This is the same pattern you see in words like unhappy, unknown, and unlucky.
- Will wished that she would speak and bring some mitigating shadow across his own cruel speech, which seemed to stand staring at them both in mockery of any attempt at revived fellowship.†
Chpt 8mitigating = making less harmful or unpleasant
Definition:
make less harmful or unpleasant