heighten

verb

height·​en ˈhī-tᵊn How to pronounce heighten (audio)
heightened; heightening ˈhī-tᵊn-iŋ How to pronounce heighten (audio)
ˈhīt-niŋ

transitive verb

1
a
: to increase the amount or degree of : augment
b
: to make brighter or more intense : deepen
c
: to bring out more strongly : point up
d
: to make more acute : sharpen
2
a
: to raise high or higher : elevate
b
: to raise above the ordinary or trite
3
obsolete : elate

intransitive verb

1
archaic : grow, rise
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Undermining it can silence voices, suppress creativity and heighten risk exposure, especially in cybersecurity and compliance-sensitive environments where early detection and reporting are critical to resilience and trust. Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025 The impact of this powerful novel is heightened by Golden Voice narrator Nicholas Boulton’s keen understanding of its author’s purposes. Audiofile Magazine june 27, Literary Hub, 27 June 2025 Lost for nearly 50 years and never fully restored, its fragmented reels and sudden leaps only heighten the silent era’s disorienting psychosis. Ben Croll, Variety, 27 June 2025 With charismatic guest players who recur across multiple videos and a commitment to heightening every sketch into absurd and unpredictable territory, Hotel Art Thief has built a distinct universe governed by its own nonsensical logic. Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 26 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for heighten

Word History

First Known Use

1523, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of heighten was in 1523

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Cite this Entry

“Heighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heighten. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

heighten

verb
height·​en ˈhīt-ᵊn How to pronounce heighten (audio)
heightened; heightening ˈhīt-niŋ How to pronounce heighten (audio)
-ᵊn-iŋ
1
: to make or become brighter or greater
heightened the citizens' awareness
2
: to raise high or higher : elevate

More from Merriam-Webster on heighten

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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