lighten up

verb

lightened up; lightening up; lightens up

intransitive verb

: to take things less seriously

Examples of lighten up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The cheesecake filling is rich and dense but it is lightened up by the fresh fruit. — Phoebe Evans, Southern Living, 4 July 2026

Sztybel made it six months on Ukraine before lightening up her offerings with animal news drawings — 150 of them. — Jan Ellen Spiegel, Hartford Courant, 29 June 2026

Choose sofas, armchairs, and furniture with visible legs to lighten up your layout. — Kristin Hohenadel, The Spruce, 22 June 2026

V-necks are perfect for lightening up your outfits for summer thanks to the cut that allows airflow to your chest and arms, while still keeping a modest, effortless look. — Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 18 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for lighten up

• buttercup
• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup