Adjacent Words

Lighten definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

LIGHTEN, v.i. li'tn. [from light, the fluid.]
1. To flash; to burst forth or dart, as lightning; to shine with an instantaneous illumination.
This dreadful night that thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars as doth the lion.
2. To shine like lightning.
3. To fall; to light. Obs.
LIGHTEN, v.t. li'tn.
1. To dissipate darkness; to fill with light; to spread over with light; to illuminate; to enlighten; as, to lighten an apartment with lamps or gas; to lighten the streets.
A key of fire ran all along the shore, and lightened all the river with a blaze.
2. To illuminate with knowledge; in a moral sense.
A light to lighten the Gentiles. Luke 2.
3. To free from trouble and fill with joy.
They looked to him and were lightened. Psalms 34.
LIGHTEN, v.t. li'tn. [from light, not heavy.]
1. To make lighter; to reduce in weight; to make less heavy; as, to lighten a ship by unloading; to lighten a load or burden.
2. To alleviate; to make less burdensome or afflictive; as, to lighten the cares of life; to lighten the burden of grief.
3. To cheer; to exhilarate.
He lightens my humor with his merry jest.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: make more cheerful; "the conversation lightened me up a bit" [syn: lighten, lighten up, buoy up] [ant: weigh down, weigh on]
2: reduce the weight on; make lighter; "she lightened the load on the tired donkey"
3: become more cheerful; "after a glass of wine, he lightened up a bit" [syn: lighten, lighten up, buoy up]
4: make lighter or brighter; "The paint will brighten the room" [syn: brighten, lighten up, lighten] [ant: darken]
5: become lighter; "The room lightened up" [syn: lighten, lighten up] [ant: darken]
6: alleviate or remove (pressure or stress) or make less oppressive; "relieve the pressure and the stress"; "lighten the burden of caring for her elderly parents" [syn: relieve, lighten]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb (lightened; lightening) Etymology: Middle English lightenen, from light Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. to make light or clear ; illuminate 2. archaic enlighten 3. to make (as a color) lighter intransitive verb 1. a. archaic to shine brightly b. to grow lighter ; brighten 2. to give out flashes of lightning • lightener noun II. verb (lightened; lightening) Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. a. to relieve of a burden in whole or in part <the news lightened his mind> b. to reduce in weight or quantity ; lessen <lighten her duties> c. to make less wearisome ; alleviate <lighten our sorrow> 2. cheer, gladden intransitive verb 1. to become lighter or less burdensome 2. to become more cheerful Synonyms: see relieve • lightener noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. v. 1 a tr. & intr. make or become lighter in weight. b tr. reduce the weight or load of. 2 tr. bring relief to (the heart, mind, etc.). 3 tr. mitigate (a penalty). 2. v. 1 a tr. shed light on. b tr. & intr. make or grow bright. 2 intr. a shine brightly; flash. b emit lightning (it is lightening).

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lighten Light"en (l[imac]t"'n), v. i. [See Light to alight.] To descend; to light. O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us. --Book of Common Prayer [Eng. Ed.].

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lighten Light"en, v. t. [See Light not heavy.] 1. To make lighter, or less heavy; to reduce in weight; to relieve of part of a load or burden; as, to lighten a ship by unloading; to lighten a load or burden. 2. To make less burdensome or afflictive; to alleviate; as, to lighten the cares of life or the burden of grief. 3. To cheer; to exhilarate. Lightens my humor with his merry jests. --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lighten Light"en (l[imac]t"'n), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Lightened (-'nd); p. pr. & vb. n. Lightening.] [OE. lightenen. See Light to kindle, illuminate.] 1. To burst forth or dart, as lightning; to shine with, or like, lightning; to display a flash or flashes of lightning; to flash. This dreadful night, That thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars As doth the lion. --Shak. 2. To grow lighter; to become less dark or lowering; to brighten; to clear, as the sky.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lighten Light"en, v. t. [See Light to illuminate.] 1. To make light or clear; to light; to illuminate; as, to lighten an apartment with lamps or gas; to lighten the streets. [In this sense less common than light.] A key of fire ran all along the shore, And lightened all the river with a blaze. --Dryden. 2. To illuminate with knowledge; to enlighten. [In this sense less common than enlighten.] Lighten my spirit with one clear heavenly ray. --Sir J. Davies. 3. To emit or disclose in, or as in, lightning; to flash out, like lightning. His eye . . . lightens forth Controlling majesty. --Shak. 4. To free from trouble and fill with joy. They looked unto him, and were lightened. --Ps. xxxiv. 5.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(lightens, lightening, lightened) 1. When something lightens or when you lighten it, it becomes less dark in colour. The sky began to lighten... Leslie lightens her hair and has now had it cut into a short, feathered style. ? darken VERB: V, V n 2. If someone lightens a situation, they make it less serious or less boring. Anthony felt the need to lighten the atmosphere... VERB: V n 3. If your attitude, or mood lightens, or if someone or something lightens it, they make you feel more cheerful, happy, and relaxed. As they approached the outskirts of the city, Ella's mood visibly lightened... The sun was streaming in through the window, yet it did nothing to lighten his mood. VERB: V, V n 4. If you lighten something, you make it less heavy. It is a good idea to blend it in a food processor as this lightens the mixture... He pulled the lightened sled with all his strength. VERB: V n, V-ed

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. n. 1. Flash (said of lightning). 2. Grow lighter, brighten, clear off. II. v. a. 1. Illuminate, irradiate, illume, light. 2. Enlighten, fill with knowledge or wisdom, illumine. 3. [With forth.] Flash, flash forth, emit. 4. Ease, make lighter, make easier.

Moby Thesaurus

abate, allay, alleviate, assuage, attemper, attenuate, bank the fire, be light, beacon, blunt, break, brighten, brighten up, chasten, cheer up, constrain, control, damp, dampen, dawn, de-emphasize, deaden, dilute, diminish, disburden, disembarrass, disencumber, downplay, dull, ease, enlighten, extenuate, flood with light, floodlight, gladden, grow bright, grow light, have little weight, highlight, illume, illuminate, illumine, irradiate, keep within bounds, kick the beam, lay, lenify, lessen, light, light up, luminate, make light, make lighter, mitigate, moderate, modulate, mollify, obtund, off-load, overshine, palliate, play down, reduce, reduce the temperature, reduce weight, relieve, relume, relumine, restrain, set at ease, shed light upon, shine, shine upon, slacken, slow down, smile, smother, sober, sober down, soften, spotlight, stifle, subdue, suppress, tame, temper, thin, throw light upon, tone down, tune down, unballast, unburden, underplay, unfreight, unlade, unload, weaken, weigh lightly