brighten

verb bright·en \ ˈbrī-tᵊn \

Updated on: 12 Apr 2018

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

With rookies Brian Anderson and Garrett Cooper combining to drive in three of the four runs, Marlins fortunes brightened momentarily to match the splendid weather with the roof open.

— craig davis, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Marlins, Urena roughed up early in Opening Day loss to Cubs," 29 Mar. 2018
By 1875, wallpaper patterns in one self-portrait take on abstract lives of their own; in another that year, his palette brightens and twinkles, as Impressionistic brushstrokes free themselves from descriptive contours and sculptural mass.

— lance esplund, WSJ, "Cézanne’s Colorful Coterie," 28 Mar. 2018
Does having your skin look radiant, plumper, more bouncy, brightened, luminous, more hydrated in 10 to 12 minutes sound good to you?

— kathleen hou, The Cut, "What’s in Your Sheet Mask?," 28 Mar. 2018
Some lemon zest brightens the whole thing up and keeps the dish from feeling heavy.

— emma wartzman, Bon Appetit, "The Shrimpiest Shrimp Risotto That Ever Shrimped," 13 Mar. 2018
The Wake-Up Light is built on the premise that human beings have an easier time transitioning from the dream world to the waking world with the help of gradually brightening light.

— michael desjardin, USA TODAY, "This is the best deal on Amazon right now," 9 Jan. 2018
To the right of the entryway is the family room, with a sliding barn door; to the left, white wainscoting brightens the dining room.

— jon gorey, BostonGlobe.com, "For sale: Homes in Franklin," 23 Mar. 2018
In the span of a week, the vibe around the Spurs' playoff chase has brightened considerably.

— jeff mcdonald, San Antonio Express-News, "Aldridge saves Spurs’ bacon again," 20 Mar. 2018
But his days were brightened when friends joined him in a therapeutic catch with a beach ball.

— Fox News, "Severely burned New York teen dies over a year after crash," 20 Mar. 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.