as in illuminated
filled with much light
the brightened room is now a much more cheerful place for the recuperating patients
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in lightened
to become glad or hopeful
the glum soccer player started to brighten upon being told that his injury would not jeopardize his career
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of brightened
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
1 July 2026
Plus, the color payoff is very impressive—after just one swipe its orangey-nude color complemented my tan, and brightened my complexion.
—
Reece Andavolgyi,
InStyle,
30 June 2026
The light that shone from Red Beard’s joints brightened.
—
Will MacKin,
New Yorker,
28 June 2026
The walls are brightened by her collection of Flow Blue porcelain plates.
—
Nancy Vienneau,
Southern Living,
27 June 2026
Valadao’s hopes of survival were brightened when progressive Randy Villegas defeated moderate Democrat Jasmeet Bains.
—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
25 June 2026
Rangel recalls people approaching him to say that seeing Osito had brightened an otherwise stressful day.
—
Fernanda Pesce,
Chicago Tribune,
20 June 2026
Rangel recalls people approaching him to say that seeing Osito had brightened an otherwise stressful day.
—
ABC News,
19 June 2026
The addition of vitamin C has noticeably brightened and evened out my skin tone.
—
Jenny Berg,
Vogue,
27 May 2026
Verb
The scale of recent left-wing victories in New York brightened the spotlight on progressive Democrats everywhere, especially in politically competitive states.
—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
1 July 2026
Plus, the color payoff is very impressive—after just one swipe its orangey-nude color complemented my tan, and brightened my complexion.
—
Reece Andavolgyi,
InStyle,
30 June 2026
The light that shone from Red Beard’s joints brightened.
—
Will MacKin,
New Yorker,
28 June 2026
The walls are brightened by her collection of Flow Blue porcelain plates.
—
Nancy Vienneau,
Southern Living,
27 June 2026
Valadao’s hopes of survival were brightened when progressive Randy Villegas defeated moderate Democrat Jasmeet Bains.
—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
25 June 2026
Rangel recalls people approaching him to say that seeing Osito had brightened an otherwise stressful day.
—
Fernanda Pesce,
Chicago Tribune,
20 June 2026
Rangel recalls people approaching him to say that seeing Osito had brightened an otherwise stressful day.
—
ABC News,
19 June 2026
The addition of vitamin C has noticeably brightened and evened out my skin tone.
—
Jenny Berg,
Vogue,
27 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brightened
Adjective
-
The massive illuminated sign, which hung outside New York City's Ed Sullivan Theater throughout Colbert's nearly 11-year run as host, was purchased at auction earlier this year and now sits on the rooftop of WeHo Bistro.
-
The front end features a more upright stance dominated by the illuminated BMW Iconic Glow kidney grille, while new 'double-X' daytime running lights give the SUV a distinctive lighting signature.
Verb
-
The sweetness of vanilla is contrasted with sharp musk and sandalwood and lightened with fresh jasmine.
-
Congress has since lightened some of the harsh mandatory penalties that applied to Bailey and others convicted back in the 1990s.
Adjective
-
The uninterrupted sun dries out soil increasing drought risk, and light winds allow pollutants to build up, worsening air quality, particularly in urban areas.
-
The light rail’s Green Line will reopen after construction of the new light rail station at Seventh Street and Railyards Boulevard is completed, which is expected later this summer.
Verb
-
After exposing the bones to a high-energy blue light, the team used an optical filter to see which of them glowed red.
-
The sandstone bowl of a stadium built in 1924 glowed gold.
Adjective
-
But plenty of these bright red and crisp white shirts belong to Panama fans.
-
The prospects for Chip’s Seeds continue to be bright, too.
Verb
-
The case remained unsolved until investigators revived it around 2017.
-
Another selloff for SpaceX could lower its shares below the debut trading price of $150, and Swissquote analyst Ipek Ozkardeskaya told Reuters the company’s decision to open bond trading may have revived concerns that tech companies may be spending too much on AI infrastructure.
Cite this Entry
“Brightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brightened. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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