as in lightening
to become glad or hopeful
the glum soccer player started to brighten upon being told that his injury would not jeopardize his career
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Recent Examples of brightening
Instead, Button says under cabinet task lighting can often instantly improve a space, and pot lights are great for brightening up dull areas—especially any prep stations.
—
Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 30 Apr. 2026
Aside from brightening a space, increasing natural light can improve your mood, energy, and sleep patterns.
—Kylie Petty, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Apr. 2026
Inside, it's used for cooking, sanitizing surfaces, brightening laundry, and so much more.
—Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 29 Apr. 2026
The blue-and-green floral pattern sits on a white background, brightening up a bedroom just in time for spring.
—Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026
This effort will focus on the galactic bulge, where star density is much higher, and will take advantage of the fact that a planet can act as a small gravitational lens, briefly brightening any background stars that pass between it and Earth.
—John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2026
Her mother, Lianna Charles Moore, previously described her daughters as always laughing, smiling and brightening her family's day.
—Christina Fan, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
Plus, similar tinted, brightening eye creams below.
—Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 14 Apr. 2026
The key window is April 10-20, when the comet is brightening but not yet too deeply embedded in the sun's glare.
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 10 Apr. 2026
Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 30 Apr. 2026
Aside from brightening a space, increasing natural light can improve your mood, energy, and sleep patterns.
—Kylie Petty, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Apr. 2026
Inside, it's used for cooking, sanitizing surfaces, brightening laundry, and so much more.
—Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 29 Apr. 2026
The blue-and-green floral pattern sits on a white background, brightening up a bedroom just in time for spring.
—Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026
This effort will focus on the galactic bulge, where star density is much higher, and will take advantage of the fact that a planet can act as a small gravitational lens, briefly brightening any background stars that pass between it and Earth.
—John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2026
Her mother, Lianna Charles Moore, previously described her daughters as always laughing, smiling and brightening her family's day.
—Christina Fan, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
Plus, similar tinted, brightening eye creams below.
—Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 14 Apr. 2026
The key window is April 10-20, when the comet is brightening but not yet too deeply embedded in the sun's glare.
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 10 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brightening
Verb
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Cyrus has been subtly lightening her naturally brunette color over the last year, fueling rumors of a Hannah Montana reunion before the special was confirmed.—
Grace McCarty,
Glamour,
26 Mar. 2026
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Many aspirants, like Yusuf, consider jars of skin lightening cream to be essential, along with access to exclusive gyms and going to the right hair salon.—
Taran Khan,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Small but mighty, this two-pack of glowing tiki torches—which also moonlights as an ambient light source—delivers high-quality surround sound.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 May 2026
-
The house is dizzyingly animate, like a video game where every object is a glowing grail.—
Olivia Kan-Sperling,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
But with a sequel to dissect and an audience primed for this kind of analysis, the larger conversation around villainy is worth reviving.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
30 Apr. 2026
-
But Anne Hathaway reviving an actual movie costume from 2006?—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brightening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brightening. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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