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
If slapstick comedy uses the body as an elastic tool to heighten the farcical elements of a moment, transforming even the most prosaic exchange, what Byrne is doing is its antithesis.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
Stock Chart IconStock chart icon S&P 500 YTD While the broader market could have heightened volumes and volatility, some individual stocks with large open interest could see a different scenario.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 18 Dec. 2025
The show is very funny, bizarrely heightened like a lot of Adult Swim’s stuff.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 18 Dec. 2025
This genre fluidity allows the spiritual to heighten the narrative, dealing with archetypes like the supernaturally gifted musician.
—Robert Lang, Deadline, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heighten
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Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
Stock Chart IconStock chart icon S&P 500 YTD While the broader market could have heightened volumes and volatility, some individual stocks with large open interest could see a different scenario.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 18 Dec. 2025
The show is very funny, bizarrely heightened like a lot of Adult Swim’s stuff.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 18 Dec. 2025
This genre fluidity allows the spiritual to heighten the narrative, dealing with archetypes like the supernaturally gifted musician.
—Robert Lang, Deadline, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heighten
Cite this Entry
“Heighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heighten. Accessed 23 Dec. 2025.
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