lighten

1 of 2

verb (1)

light·​en ˈlī-tᵊn How to pronounce lighten (audio)
lightened; lightening ˈlīt-niŋ How to pronounce lighten (audio)
ˈlī-tᵊn-iŋ

transitive verb

1
: to make light or clear : illuminate
2
archaic : enlighten
3
: to make (something, such as a color) lighter

intransitive verb

1
a
archaic : to shine brightly
b
: to grow lighter : brighten
2
: to give out flashes of lightning

lighten

2 of 2

verb (2)

lightened; lightening ˈlīt-niŋ How to pronounce lighten (audio)
ˈlī-tᵊn-iŋ

transitive verb

1
a
: to relieve of a burden in whole or in part
the news lightened his mind
b
: to reduce in weight or quantity : lessen
c
: to make less wearisome : alleviate
lighten our sorrow
2

intransitive verb

1
: to become lighter or less burdensome
2
: to become more cheerful
Choose the Right Synonym for lighten

relieve, alleviate, lighten, assuage, mitigate, allay mean to make something less grievous.

relieve implies a lifting of enough of a burden to make it tolerable.

took an aspirin to relieve the pain

alleviate implies temporary or partial lessening of pain or distress.

the lotion alleviated the itching

lighten implies reducing a burdensome or depressing weight.

good news would lighten our worries

assuage implies softening or sweetening what is harsh or disagreeable.

ocean breezes assuaged the intense heat

mitigate suggests a moderating or countering of the effect of something violent or painful.

the need to mitigate barbaric laws

allay implies an effective calming or soothing of fears or alarms.

allayed their fears

Examples of lighten in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Afterward, the family started to feel more settled, and Z’s mental health seemed to lighten. Hannah Murphy Winter, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2024 Charlize Theron is lightening her real estate load once again, having chosen to relinquish ownership of one of her Los Angeles properties. Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 21 Feb. 2024 Leo July 23 – August 22 Collaborating with others to get a job done could now lighten your load. Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 11 Feb. 2024 Francis would have known that, for more than a century before he was born, in 1937, photographic technique — lighting and exposure, in the studio, and then developing and printing and even retouching, in the darkroom — had deliberately been used to lighten Black complexions, and negate them. Blake Gopnik, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024 Daisy tried to lighten the mood by testing Joey’s foot massage skills. Dana Rose Falcone, Peoplemag, 20 Feb. 2024 The rain will begin to lighten on Wednesday, and a system near Alaska could lead to the end of the storm by Thursday. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2024 Direct sunlight can lighten or discolor leather overtime, so these stools are ideal for dining spaces away from windows. Addie Morton, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Jan. 2024 Breezes lighten overnight, blowing from the southwest during the evening but shifting to blow from the northeast closer to dawn as rain chances rise. A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lighten.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English lightenen, from light

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of lighten was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near lighten

Cite this Entry

“Lighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lighten. Accessed 15 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lighten

1 of 2 verb
light·​en ˈlīt-ᵊn How to pronounce lighten (audio)
lightened; lightening ˈlīt-niŋ How to pronounce lighten (audio)
-ᵊn-iŋ
1
: to make or become light, lighter, or clear : brighten
2
: to give out flashes of lightning
lightener
ˈlīt-nər How to pronounce lighten (audio)
-ᵊn-ər
noun

lighten

2 of 2 verb
lightened; lightening ˈlīt-niŋ How to pronounce lighten (audio)
-ᵊn-iŋ
: to make or become less heavy or less difficult
lighten a load
lightened her duties
lightener
ˈlīt-nər How to pronounce lighten (audio)
-ᵊn-ər
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on lighten

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