Synonyms of heightened

heightened 1 of 2

adjective

as in increased

being at a higher level than average

there were heightened levels of lead in the drinking water

Synonyms & Similar Words

• increased
• elevated
• high
• raised
• up
• escalated
• extreme
• maximum
• jacked (up)
• peaked
• utmost
• inflated
• over
• maximized
• sky-high
• full
• overloaded
• overflowing
• oversize
• overfilled
• overlarge
• overfull

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• low
• down
• decreased
• dropped
• under
• depressed
• receded
• knockdown

heightened

2 of 2

verb

past tense of heighten

1

as in intensified

to make markedly greater in measure or degree

several controversial measures have heightened parental awareness of the impact of school policy decisions

Synonyms & Similar Words

• intensified
• deepened
• enhanced
• strengthened
• consolidated
• reinforced
• accentuated
• amplified
• boosted
• sharpened
• broadened
• stepped up
• magnified
• expanded
• redoubled
• augmented
• emphasized
• extended
• beefed (up)
• accelerated
• lengthened
• enforced
• amped (up)
• supplemented
• enlarged
• pointed (up)
• quickened
• maximized
• exacerbated
• stressed
• hastened
• enlivened
• aggravated
• restrengthened
• jazzed (up)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reduced
• decreased
• diminished
• abated
• lessened
• weakened
• moderated
• subdued
• subsided
• receded
• waned
• dwindled
• tapered (off)
• alleviated
• eased
• lightened
• toned (down)
• let up (on)

2

as in lifted

to move from a lower to a higher place or position

heightened the hem on her skirt just a couple of inches

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lifted
• elevated
• raised
• uplifted
• boosted
• hoisted
• upheld
• hiked
• upped
• heaved
• took up
• picked up
• mounted
• rose
• perked (up)
• jacked (up)
• upraised
• craned
• ascended
• hefted
• reared
• upended

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• lowered
• dropped
• fell
• slipped
• pushed
• descended
• bore
• pressed
• plunged
• depressed
• dipped
• pitched
• sank
• submerged

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of heightened

Adjective

Wyle said portraying a Jewish character offered an opportunity to present a humanist and healer at a time of heightened antisemitism. — Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026

Either way, Steve Sarkisian has noticed something different about his quarterback this week, which also comes at a time of heightened criticism towards the Texas offense. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026

The medical community is responding to the heightened interest in menopause. — Lyndon Haviland, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026

Another example might be Jury Duty’s James Marsden, who was nominated at the Globes for playing a heightened version of himself in the comedic reality show — though that show was scripted enough to also be nominated in the Best Comedy category. — Nate Jones, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026

Kaufhold thinks that something might be a heightened sensitivity to disgust. — Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026

Another Lula term would come at a moment of heightened rivalry between the US and China, Brazil’s largest trading partner, as well as wars and instability in Europe and the Middle East and growing tensions over global trade. — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026

These are songs that iterate and elevate minor party fouls into dramas of symphonic proportion, arrangements that articulate the heightened emotions churning inside anxious minds. — Lily Goldberg, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026

Washington should thus be prepared for the possibility that stepped-up efforts to terminate the war may coincide with heightened security risks in Europe. — Dmitry Adamsky, Foreign Affairs, 21 Oct. 2026

Verb

Tensions were heightened earlier this month when Houthis struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, leaving more than a dozen dead. — Ryan Gaydos Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2026

Against a largely black palette, flashes of alarm red and bubblegum pink heightened the collection’s apocalyptic ethos. — Livia Caligor, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2026

And that’s where the frights, heightened by the intimacy of the van, come in. — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026

The continued hostilities have heightened concerns about the vulnerability of Saudi Arabia's energy infrastructure, with traders increasingly focused on the risk of a major disruption to production, refining or export facilities. — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026

In 1860, Muybridge was thrown from a carriage, resulting in a head injury that radically changed his personality and possibly heightened his artistic inclinations. — Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026

Security was also heightened in Rome, where authorities locked down luxury shopping streets and stepped up controls around the Circus Maximus and Piazza del Popolo. — ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026

Security has been heightened with soldiers, police, and drones. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 24 Oct. 2026

That acceleration heightened in a post-pandemic world, wherein nearly all tickets, plus in-stadium transactions, went digital. — Johnny Flores Jr, New York Times, 21 Oct. 2026