lighten
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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
lighten¹
- /ˈlaɪ.tn̩/
- [ˈlaɪtn̩]
- [ˈlaɪʔn̩]
Rhymes with -aɪtən
Where it comes from
From Middle English lightnen, equivalent to light + -en.
verb lightens · lightening · lightened · lighten
-
To make brighter or clearer; to illuminate.
to lighten an apartment with lamps or gas; to lighten the streets
Similar: light up
- To become brighter or clearer; to brighten.
- To flash lightning, to give off lightning. Enter the Conjurer; it lightens and thunders […]
- To emit or disclose in, or as if in, lightning; to flash out, like lightning. […] behold his eye, As bright as is the eagle’s, lightens forth Controlling majesty:
-
To illuminate with knowledge.
O Light which mak’st the Light, which makes the Day,
Which setst the Eye without and Mind within,
Lighten my spirit with one cleare heavenly ray,
Which now to view it selfe doth first begin.
Similar: enlighten
lighten²
- /ˈlaɪ.tn̩/
- [ˈlaɪtn̩]
- [ˈlaɪʔn̩]
Rhymes with -aɪtən
Where it comes from
From Middle English lightnen, equivalent to light + -en.
verb lightens · lightening · lightened · lighten
- To alleviate; to reduce the burden of. Sorrow can be lightened by being openly brought out.
- To make light or lighter in weight.
- To make less serious or more cheerful. They looked unto him, were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
- To become light or lighter in weight.
- To become less serious or more cheerful.
lighten³
- /ˈlaɪ.tn̩/
- [ˈlaɪtn̩]
- [ˈlaɪʔn̩]
Rhymes with -aɪtən
verb lightens · lightening · lightened
- To descend; to light. Book of Common Prayer O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: brighten, buoy up, lighten up, enlighten, illuminate, cut, reducing, attenuate, minimize, reduce, defuse, decrease, diminish, simplify, ameliorate, lessen
Translations
Every language
verb to make brighter or clearer
| Español | aclarar |
|---|---|
| Русский | осветля́ть osvetljátʹ, осветли́ть osvetlítʹ |
verb to become brighter or clearer
| Español | aclararse |
|---|---|
| Русский | светле́ть svetlétʹ, посветле́ть posvetlétʹ |
verb to alleviate
| 한국어 | 덜어주다 deoreojuda |
|---|---|
| Português | aliviar |
| Français | alléger |
| Deutsch | erleichtern |
| Italiano | alleggerire |
| Română | ușura |
| Русский | облегча́ть oblexčátʹ, обле́гчить obléxčitʹ |
| עברית | הֵקֵל heqél |
verb to make light in weight
| Español | aligerar, alivianar |
|---|---|
| Português | aligeirar, aliviar |
| Română | ușura |
| עברית | הֵקֵל heqél |
verb to make less serious
| Português | aligeirar |
|---|---|
| Русский | смягча́ть smjaxčátʹ, смягчи́ть smjaxčítʹ |
| עברית | הֵקֵל heqél |
verb to become light in weight
| Español | aligerarse |
|---|
Talk about this word "lighten." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/lighten. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. lighten. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/lighten "lighten." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/lighten.Cite this
@misc{lighten_2026,
title = {lighten},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/lighten},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
