as in brightening
to become glad or hopeful
the patient lightened when he heard the disease responds well to treatment
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as in illuminating
to supply with light
the room was gradually lightened by the rising sun
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Recent Examples of lightening
Keyaira Boone, Essence, 5 Sep. 2025
Those who frequent salons know that lightening one's hair is much longer, more delicate process than going in the other direction, and Stone has slowly been making her way back to auburn since switching to a dark brunette shade in the summer of 2024.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 30 Aug. 2025
In the wake of these jarring changes, Modi’s government has also hinted that changes to India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) may be on the horizon as a means of lightening the burden on the country’s consumer base.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 26 Aug. 2025
Beverly Hills police were extremely pro-active and acted at lightening speed.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
Advertisement Burdening the poor with greater poverty while lightening the tax load of the most wealthy, to paraphrase Bill Gates, smacks of the richest people in the world killing the poorest children in the world.
—Mary Fisher, Time, 19 Aug. 2025
Making someone feel comfortable, using humor as an icebreaker, and lightening the mood with a smile are her go to tips.
—Aj Mason, Them., 8 Aug. 2025
Verb
The controversial skin-lightening agent is banned in the EU, Australia, and Japan.
—Keyaira Boone, Essence, 5 Sep. 2025
Those who frequent salons know that lightening one's hair is much longer, more delicate process than going in the other direction, and Stone has slowly been making her way back to auburn since switching to a dark brunette shade in the summer of 2024.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 30 Aug. 2025
In the wake of these jarring changes, Modi’s government has also hinted that changes to India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) may be on the horizon as a means of lightening the burden on the country’s consumer base.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 26 Aug. 2025
Beverly Hills police were extremely pro-active and acted at lightening speed.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
Advertisement Burdening the poor with greater poverty while lightening the tax load of the most wealthy, to paraphrase Bill Gates, smacks of the richest people in the world killing the poorest children in the world.
—Mary Fisher, Time, 19 Aug. 2025
Making someone feel comfortable, using humor as an icebreaker, and lightening the mood with a smile are her go to tips.
—Aj Mason, Them., 8 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lightening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lightening. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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