heightened; heightening
ˈhī-tᵊn-iŋ 
ˈhīt-niŋ
1
a
: to increase the amount or degree of : augment
heighten interest in the book
heighten tensions in the region
b
: to make brighter or more intense : deepen
… slowly rubbing the gold piece … as if to heighten its lustre …—
Herman Melville
Herman Melville
c
: to bring out more strongly : point up
… uses the camera to punctuate and heighten the story.—Stacey Bell
Stacey Bell
d
: to make more acute : sharpen
heighten the contrast on a monitor
2
a
: to raise high or higher : elevate
b
: to raise above the ordinary or trite
heightened prose
3
obsolete
: elate
2
a
: to become great or greater in amount, degree, or extent
b
: to become brighter or more intense
Examples of heighten in a Sentence
The plan will only heighten tensions between the two groups.
This tragedy has heightened our awareness of the need for improved safety measures.
Tensions between the two groups have heightened.
Recent Examples on the Web
This structural and compounding loss heightened by sidelining Black women’s leaders drains institutions of current productivity and future leadership pipelines.
—Jallicia Jolly, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
While the rise of artificial intelligence that can generate code, text and images has heightened fears that technology will displace workers, Autodesk Chief Executive and President Andrew Anagnost told employees that isn’t what is driving the cuts.
—Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2026
Students’ concerns about housing are heightened by the ongoing housing shortage near UC Berkeley, which is working to build more units.
—Hamza Adel Fahmy, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026
Throughout his nearly two-year Love On Tour, Styles’ live band became part of his showman persona; their absence heightens the song’s melancholy and intimacy.
—Heven Haile, Pitchfork, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heighten
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Jallicia Jolly, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
While the rise of artificial intelligence that can generate code, text and images has heightened fears that technology will displace workers, Autodesk Chief Executive and President Andrew Anagnost told employees that isn’t what is driving the cuts.
—Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2026
Students’ concerns about housing are heightened by the ongoing housing shortage near UC Berkeley, which is working to build more units.
—Hamza Adel Fahmy, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026
Throughout his nearly two-year Love On Tour, Styles’ live band became part of his showman persona; their absence heightens the song’s melancholy and intimacy.
—Heven Haile, Pitchfork, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heighten
Cite this Entry
“Heighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heighten. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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