brighten

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verb bright·en \ ˈbrī-tᵊn \

Definition of brighten

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

intransitive verb

:to become bright or brighter

transitive verb

:to make bright or brighter

you brightened my day

—

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

The dog brightened days and lifted the spirit of Chicago.

— erin ben-moche, chicagotribune.com, "Beloved wonder rescue dog, Fifty the pit bull, dies," 22 Aug. 2017
Tomorrow (Saturday): Brightening skies appear possible, but shower chances still remain throughout the day.

— a. camden walker, Washington Post, "D.C.-area forecast: Mugginess and rain risks are back today and tomorrow, but Sunday may offer respite," 11 Aug. 2017
The sun streamed in Monday, filling a bright place where Giovani Santillan has built an ever-brightening tomorrow.

— bryce miller, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Could S.D. champ Santillan become boxing's next big name?," 26 July 2017
Using four hop varieties and three different malts, this dark ale’s roasty body is brightened by pine and citrus notes.

— Ramona Sentinel, "ChuckAlek beer in Samuel Adams’ 12-pack," 19 July 2017
Overall, the decor is much more understated than that of Johnson's homes in New York City and Malibu, though still colorful enough to brighten up any vacation. Related: Score!

— melissa minton, Teen Vogue, "Betsey Johnson's Mexican Villa Is Available to Rent," 17 July 2017
So the couple looked into exfoliating and skin-brightening ingredients to come up with their own formula for the mud mask.

— ingrid schmidt, Los Angeles Magazine, "How GlamGlow Spun Mud Into Gold," 14 July 2017
Being in touch with his old bandmates again has brightened his life.

— matt wake, AL.com, "The Alabama band a rock-star left behind rises again," 3 July 2017
During the week, though, she can be found near MCI's front door, brightening others' days.

— michelle matthews, AL.com, "This Alabama woman's job is to give hundreds of hugs every day," 29 June 2017

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.

First Known Use of brighten

14th century

brighten Synonyms

Synonyms

cheer (up), buck up, lighten, look up, perk (up)

Antonyms

darken, sadden

Related Words

rejoice; liven (up), revive; beam, glow, radiate, sparkle; encourage, gladden, hearten

Near Antonyms

despair, despond; brood, fret, mope

BRIGHTEN Defined for English Language Learners

brighten

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verb

Definition of brighten for English Language Learners

: to add more light to (something)
: to make (something) more colorful or cheerful
: to become brighter or more cheerful

BRIGHTEN Defined for Kids

brighten

play

verb bright·en \ ˈbrī-tᵊn \

Definition of brighten for Students

brightened; brightening

1 :to add more light to

Candlelight brightened the room.

2 :to make or become cheerful

You brightened my day.

Learn More about brighten

See words that rhyme with brighten Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for brighten Spanish Central: Translation of brighten Nglish: Translation of brighten for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of brighten for Arabic speakers

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brighten

Definition of brighten

brightener

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Examples of brighten in a Sentence

Recent Examples of brighten from the Web

First Known Use of brighten

brighten Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

BRIGHTEN Defined for English Language Learners

brighten

Definition of brighten for English Language Learners

BRIGHTEN Defined for Kids

brighten

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