brighten

verb bright·en \ ˈbrī-tᵊn \

|Updated on: 15 Aug 2018

Examples: brighten in a Sentence

Definition of brighten

brightened; brightening play \ˈbrīt-niŋ, ˈbrī-tᵊn-iŋ\

intransitive verb

: to become bright or brighter

transitive verb

1 : to make bright or brighter

you brightened my day

2 : to enhance or intensify the flavor of (food) especially by adding an acidic element (such as citrus juice or vinegar)

Crisp lemon slices brighten smoky bacon and rosemary-infused trout.
—Melissa Roberts-Matar

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brightener

play \ˈbrīt-nər, ˈbrī-tᵊn-ər\ noun

See brighten defined for English-language learners

See brighten defined for kids

Examples of brighten in a Sentence

He brightened the picture on the television.
Flowers can brighten any room.
The good news brightened her mood.
The sky brightened after the storm.
Business prospects brightened last month.
Her face brightened in relief when she heard that he was not hurt.

Recent Examples of brighten from the Web

Set on a cul-de-sac, the streamlined 1960s spot features clerestory windows and walls of glass that brighten the living areas.

— jack flemming, latimes.com, "Actress Rooney Mara cleans up in sale of Los Feliz home," 5 June 2018
Shutterstock In non-royals news, here's something that will instantly brighten your day: Kim Kardashian posted a sweet picture of her son, Saint, 2, and four-month-old daughter, Chicago, adorably snuggling.

— rachel epstein, Marie Claire, "Kim Kardashian Posts a Sweet Picture of Saint Snuggling Chicago," 22 May 2018
Once the rash or bug bites are handled, darker skin tones may have lingering hyperpigmentation; treat it with a brightening vitamin C serum or a spot-fading cream with soy extract.

— cristina mueller, Glamour, "How to Deal With Every Summer Skin Issue, From Sunburns to Bug Bites," 8 June 2018
This Champagne cream highlighter is subtle with a mild shimmer, brightening my complexion without a hint of glitz.

— jessica prince erlich, The Cut, "The 15 Best Highlighters," 11 May 2018
With a superlight yet moisturizing texture, this formulation includes brightening, antioxidant-rich rose hip oil, anti-inflammatory, hydrating camellia oil and fast-absorbing moisture-barrier protecting meadow-foam seed oil.

— janna mandell, SFChronicle.com, "Summer skin-care solutions by microclimate," 12 July 2018
Blazars occasionally flare, brightening by factors of 10 or more for periods of minutes to years.

— mark bowen, Scientific American, "Neutrinos on Ice: Astronomers' Long Hunt for Source of Extragalactic "Ghost Particles" Pays Off," 12 July 2018
While most of us rely on various lotions and potions to exfoliate and brighten skin post-cleansing, Chambers instead reaches for an all-natural—like really natural—product.

— harper's bazaar staff, Harper's BAZAAR, "Elizabeth Chambers Hammer's Nighttime Skin Routine Includes a Slice of Fresh Papaya," 10 July 2018
The unorthodox design includes the industrial steel exterior which curls out from under the bridge, creating a billowing atrium with a sloping skylight that brightens the home.

— alex bazeley, Curbed, "Sculptural steel home built into a 19th-century railway bridge wants $1.4M," 9 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'brighten.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.