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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of brightened
Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 9 June 2026
The addition of vitamin C has noticeably brightened and evened out my skin tone.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 27 May 2026
Queen Camilla brightened her wardrobe in a springtime Fiona Clare blue dress for a garden party at Hillsborough Castle on Wednesday in Hillsborough, Northern Ireland.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 20 May 2026
Some regions have dramatically brightened due to urbanization and electrification, while others have dimmed because of energy-efficient lighting, economic decline, the effects of war or policy changes.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 20 May 2026
Fresh flowers picked from the Ward-Ziegler grounds and gardens always brightened the place.
—Nancy Vienneau, Southern Living, 17 May 2026
Instead, the data revealed a planet in flux where areas brightened explosively in one year and dimmed sharply the next; regions flickered in rhythms tied to oil booms, armed conflicts, and pandemic lockdowns.
—Bree Shirvell, Hartford Courant, 12 May 2026
According to a new study that analyzed a combination of satellite images, artificial nighttime lights have brightened Earth by 16% between 2014 and 2022.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 6 May 2026
The filmmakers have lightened and brightened their source material to a kid-friendly degree — even the English countryside, as glisteningly shot by George Steel, has never looked less overcast.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
Ginger, citrus, and retinol make this a one-stop-shop for a plumper complexion, firmer skin, wrinkle reduction, improved circulation, and brightened dark circles.
—Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 9 June 2026
The addition of vitamin C has noticeably brightened and evened out my skin tone.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 27 May 2026
Queen Camilla brightened her wardrobe in a springtime Fiona Clare blue dress for a garden party at Hillsborough Castle on Wednesday in Hillsborough, Northern Ireland.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 20 May 2026
Some regions have dramatically brightened due to urbanization and electrification, while others have dimmed because of energy-efficient lighting, economic decline, the effects of war or policy changes.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 20 May 2026
Fresh flowers picked from the Ward-Ziegler grounds and gardens always brightened the place.
—Nancy Vienneau, Southern Living, 17 May 2026
Instead, the data revealed a planet in flux where areas brightened explosively in one year and dimmed sharply the next; regions flickered in rhythms tied to oil booms, armed conflicts, and pandemic lockdowns.
—Bree Shirvell, Hartford Courant, 12 May 2026
According to a new study that analyzed a combination of satellite images, artificial nighttime lights have brightened Earth by 16% between 2014 and 2022.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 6 May 2026
The filmmakers have lightened and brightened their source material to a kid-friendly degree — even the English countryside, as glisteningly shot by George Steel, has never looked less overcast.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brightened
Adjective
-
Little to no moonlight can also help visibility, and Saturday night’s waning crescent will bring just that with the moon only being 3% illuminated.—
Antonio Pequeño IV,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
-
Taking place at Del Mar Fairgrounds, this show will blend advanced drone choreography with the unforgettable music and iconic moments from the Harry Potter film series, featuring 1,200 illuminated drones soaring across the night sky.—
Ut Community Press,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
His workload was certainly lightened with the casting of Cayleigh Capaldi as his Maria.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
4 June 2026
-
Then struggling star Aaron Judge lightened their load with no outs in the ninth inning, lifting a long fly ball that just cleared the fence in right-center field and scoring pinch runner Max Schuemann.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
24 May 2026
Adjective
-
For example, swap heavy coats and boots for lighter layers and store the off-season items elsewhere.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
19 June 2026
-
From the cockpit through the cabin, the Citation CJ4 Gen3 provides much more than a simple update to one of Cessna’s most storied aircraft in the light-jet category.—
Michael Verdon,
Robb Report,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
As the sun set, the grounds glowed with scarlet lights that illuminated the red ottomans in the seating and lounge areas, creating an almost theatrical atmosphere.—
Stefania Conrieri,
Vanity Fair,
7 June 2026
-
The lab glowed like a jewel in the distance, and around him bioluminescent plankton shone like stars.—
Susan Cosier,
Scientific American,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
Just use Dubhe and Merak, the two bright stars in the front edge of the pot of the Big Dipper, opposite the handle, as pointer stars to Polaris.—
Mike Lynch,
Twin Cities,
14 June 2026
-
Initial crowds were eager to watch the twisty conspiracy thriller on the biggest and brightest screens, with premium large formats representing a mighty 48% of grosses.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
This dumbed-down Goebbels gobbledygook revived talking points that Habermas had tried to quash during the Historikerstreit.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
-
Olivia Rodrigo wore vintage Miu Miu plaid slingbacks with low-rise denim last week, while Dua Lipa recently revived olive crocodile boots from John Galliano’s fall 2000 Dior collection.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brightened. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
