lightened 1 of 3

adjective

1
as in illuminated

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
2
as in eased

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

lightened

2 of 3

verb (1)

past tense of lighten
as in brightened
to become glad or hopeful the patient lightened when he heard the disease responds well to treatment

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

lightened

3 of 3

verb (2)

past tense of lighten
as in illumined
to supply with light the room was gradually lightened by the rising sun

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 lightened
Adjective
Instead, Guarnaschelli recommends color drenching the ceiling in darker rooms, either with the same color or a slightly lightened shade. — Heather Bien, Southern Living, 14 July 2026 New photos show the singer with lightened hair. — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 28 May 2026 Robinson added 17 points, 11 rebounds, two steals and a block, and both Mikal Bridges (23 minutes) and Josh Hart (28) saw lightened workloads as the Knicks made quick work of the Bulls on Friday. — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026 Only two of the eight wives this season are blonde, a stark difference from season one wherein all but one had highlights, lightened hair, or full-on bleach jobs. — Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
In a large bowl, beat egg yolks with an electric mixer until thickened and lightened in color, and when lifted, the beaters leave a ribbon on the surface. — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Aug. 2026 Continue mixing on low until the batter has lightened, about 2 minutes. — Terrence Hayes, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2026 Almost every area of the AMR26 has been refined or lightened. — Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 24 July 2026 Yamamoto’s gem not only set up the Dodgers for the win but also lightened the load on a bullpen tasked with covering Game 2. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2026 Hinduism is a narrative religion; its mercurial wisdom is lightened and sweetened by stories, softened by ambiguities, sharpened by paradoxes. — Chandrahas Choudhury, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 July 2026 The sweetness of vanilla is contrasted with sharp musk and sandalwood and lightened with fresh jasmine. — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 23 June 2026 Congress has since lightened some of the harsh mandatory penalties that applied to Bailey and others convicted back in the 1990s. — Carrie Johnson, NPR, 23 June 2026 His workload was certainly lightened with the casting of Cayleigh Capaldi as his Maria. — Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 4 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lightened
  1. illuminated
  2. eased
  3. brightened
  4. illumined
  5. dazzling
  6. decreased
  7. lit
  8. shiny
Adjective
  • Bakos said the overall effect of the mirrors would depend on the reflectiveness of the illuminated surface and the cloudiness of the sky.
    — Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The energy was later brought back up, getting fans back on their feet, when Karol G and her dancers started making their way to the illuminated stone pool on the B-stage.
    — Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of illuminated
Adjective
  • Real estate developers are already cautiously planning to take advantage of the eased regulations and plan to announce new projects after the law goes into effect.
    — Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
  • Despite the eased restrictions, Rader is still only allowed out of his 8-foot-by-10-foot cell for one hour a day, five days a week.
    — Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
Definition of eased
Verb
  • Around that time, the comet experienced a large outburst, which brightened it about 8,000 times.
    — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • My whole life, my father had brightened at the sight of me, laughed at my jokes, and advised my brother, three years younger, to follow my example.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of brightened
Verb
  • Fantastic, illumined by periodic excursions into surrealism, as when the crew of a mysterious UFO boards a transpacific Kahuna Airlines jet midflight.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Definition of illumined
Adjective
  • Williams and Alcaraz, who were both returning from injuries, wowed fans with dazzling rallies and impassioned play in an opening-round win before they were knocked out in the quarterfinals.
    — Ashley Mowreader, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Two New York City icons shone a dazzling pink last night in honor of another icon, the great Dolly Parton, who died yesterday following a brief battle with cancer.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of dazzling
Adjective
  • Some of these studies even suggest a decreased risk of breast cancer with certain formulations of menopausal hormone therapy.
    — Versha Pleasant, The Conversation, 30 July 2026
  • He was slowed early in his recovery from a knee injury and then saw a decreased role in the rotation in the last month, playing only seven minutes in three tournament games.
    — Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026
Definition of decreased
Verb
  • On stage, the audience is the camera, peering into a cutaway of set designer Fly Davis’ ominous, two-story house, lit with foreboding foreshadowing by Anna Watson.
    — Frank Rizzo, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Overnight, the foundation became a staple among makeup artists and beauty lovers worldwide, thanks to its second-skin finish and lit-from-within glow.
    — Beth Sobol, Flow Space, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of lit
Adjective
  • Her clothes are simple but bright, with sometimes a bit of shiny thread or a sprinkling of sequins; décolletage is a thing of the future.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Usually, the areas are moist and shiny, not with the whitish scales seen in plaque psoriasis.
    — Ruth Jessen Hickman, HEALTH, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of shiny

Browse Nearby Words

lighten
lightened
lightening
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lightened. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gumption

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All