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
In some communities distrust of outside authorities and aid organizations has led to attacks on treatment centers, while the outbreak’s spread through Ituri—a major commercial and migration hub—has heightened concerns about wider regional and international transmission.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 May 2026
Distrust, travel bans could complicate response Dangers faced by health workers have been heightened by anger among residents over the stringent medical protocols for handling the victims’ bodies, which clash with local burial rites.
—Jean-Yves Kamale, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
Early missteps and malfunctions have heightened industry speculation that Weiss, too, won’t last.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 29 May 2026
At least three attacks have been recorded against health centers in Ituri province as residents protested stringent medical protocols that clashed with local burial rites, heightening the danger health workers face.
—ABC News, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for heighten
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Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 May 2026
Distrust, travel bans could complicate response Dangers faced by health workers have been heightened by anger among residents over the stringent medical protocols for handling the victims’ bodies, which clash with local burial rites.
—Jean-Yves Kamale, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
Early missteps and malfunctions have heightened industry speculation that Weiss, too, won’t last.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 29 May 2026
At least three attacks have been recorded against health centers in Ituri province as residents protested stringent medical protocols that clashed with local burial rites, heightening the danger health workers face.
—ABC News, 28 May 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 30 May. 2026.
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