lighten

1 of 2

verb (1)

light·​en ˈlī-tᵊn 

lightened; lightening ˈlīt-niŋ 

ˈlī-tᵊn-iŋ

transitive verb

1

: to make light or clear : illuminate

2

archaic : enlighten

3

: to make (something, such as a color) lighter

intransitive verb

1

a

archaic : to shine brightly

b

: to grow lighter : brighten

2

: to give out flashes of lightning

lighten

2 of 2

verb (2)

lightened; lightening ˈlīt-niŋ 

ˈlī-tᵊn-iŋ

transitive verb

1

a

: to relieve of a burden in whole or in part

the news lightened his mind

b

: to reduce in weight or quantity : lessen

c

: to make less wearisome : alleviate

lighten our sorrow

2

: cheer, gladden

intransitive verb

1

: to become lighter or less burdensome

2

: to become more cheerful

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• bathe
• beacon
• emblaze
• illume
• illuminate
• illumine
• irradiate
• light

Verb (2)

• brighten
• buck up
• cheer (up)
• look up
• perk (up)

Choose the Right Synonym for lighten

relieve, alleviate, lighten, assuage, mitigate, allay mean to make something less grievous.

relieve implies a lifting of enough of a burden to make it tolerable.

took an aspirin to relieve the pain

alleviate implies temporary or partial lessening of pain or distress.

the lotion alleviated the itching

lighten implies reducing a burdensome or depressing weight.

good news would lighten our worries

assuage implies softening or sweetening what is harsh or disagreeable.

ocean breezes assuaged the intense heat

mitigate suggests a moderating or countering of the effect of something violent or painful.

the need to mitigate barbaric laws

allay implies an effective calming or soothing of fears or alarms.

allayed their fears

Examples of lighten in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Or lighten things up by stirring a few handfuls of quick-cooking greens directly into the pot, which also eliminates any need for a salad on the side. —Melissa Clark, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2024

With the top 20% of earners — those families making at least $120,000 a year — supplying 91% of the state income tax, a continued exodus is sure to lighten the Sacramento pocketbook. —George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024

The federal space agency advises eclipse observers to become familiar with the adjustable exposures to help darken or lighten an image as well as practicing how to manually focus the camera. —Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 5 Apr. 2024

Her brows were lightened to a strawberry blonde shade, and her lips were painted an ultra glossy shade of black. —Kara Nesvig, Allure, 5 Mar. 2024

Americans pay roughly $100 billion in real estate commissions each year, but that burden is about to be lightened considerably. —Bywill Daniel, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2024

Zoomed photos of zipper and hair have been lightened to show detail. —Mark Landler, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024

Younger still: Wave lightening bolt Jaedyn Shaw, 19. —Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2024

The Tokyo Games took place a year late during a state of emergency because of Covid-19, and spectators didn’t attend, lightening emergency personnel’s load. —Evan Bush, NBC News, 10 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English lightenen, from light

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing lighten

• lighten up

Kids Definition

lighten

1 of 2 verb

light·​en ˈlīt-ᵊn 

lightened; lightening ˈlīt-niŋ 

-ᵊn-iŋ

1

: to make or become light, lighter, or clear : brighten

2

: to give out flashes of lightning

lightener

ˈlīt-nər 

-ᵊn-ər

noun

lighten

2 of 2 verb

lightened; lightening ˈlīt-niŋ 

-ᵊn-iŋ

: to make or become less heavy or less difficult

lighten a load

lightened her duties

lightener

ˈlīt-nər 

-ᵊn-ər

noun