as in illuminated
filled with much light
the brightened room is now a much more cheerful place for the recuperating patients
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in lightened
to become glad or hopeful
the glum soccer player started to brighten upon being told that his injury would not jeopardize his career
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 brightened
Audrey Noble, Vogue, 31 Dec. 2025
The policy brightened hopes among borrowers eager for lower payments.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 12 Dec. 2025
Jeff Pointer leaned against the green Mosier Valley Park sign as the afternoon sun brightened the park on the northeast side of Fort Worth.
—Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Dec. 2025
Miami sharpened his approach to Japanese-Peruvian cooking—ceviche brightened with local citrus, leche de tigre layered with heat.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 7 Dec. 2025
Whenever the quasar brightened or dimmed, those changes showed up in the multiple images but with tiny delays.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 7 Dec. 2025
The flavor is brightened with the assistance of both lemon and orange zest.
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 5 Dec. 2025
The comet brightened and faded slightly from image to image as different parts of its spectrum came into view.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 2 Dec. 2025
Add the peppers and saute until brightened in color, about 2 minutes.
—Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
Similar to cherry mocha, Kaeding says a wine brunette will have that dark base that is slightly brightened by a deeper red or copper tint.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for brightened
Adjective
-
Key features of the self-standing stick vacuum are the tangle-free illuminated head, three suction levels, and multiple attachments like the upholstery tool for streamlined cleaning.—
-
The illuminated blueberry, a longtime symbol of the town's identity, will be lowered at midnight outside Town Hall as part of a celebration that begins earlier in the evening with live music and fireworks.—
Verb
-
Characterized by their faded or worn-out effect, as if their original color had been lightened by washing, these beloved jeans stand out for their vintage and carefree air.—
-
That felt like a release valve that lightened an immense amount of tension.—
Verb
-
Even from a boat, the gleaming white of bleached and dead corals glowed from beneath the surface.—
-
The ground cover glowed gold and red.—
Verb
-
Glencore and Rio Tinto revived merger talks that would create the world’s largest mining company, as global demand surges for metals and minerals key to the energy transition and AI infrastructure buildout.—
-
Ben Johnson — with intellect, a bare chest and a cheesy motto from high school football — has revived the Bears in his first season as their coach.—
Adjective
-
Tips for Making Cherry Cookies Decker’s recipe doesn’t call for softened butter, but allowing the butter to soften before beating it with the sugar (a process known as creaming) will lead to a lighter, fluffier texture.—
-
At this point reduce watering to 2 to 3 times per week, apply light applications of fertilizer during the growing season, prune plants lightly in fall to winter, and add fresh mulch in fall.—
Adjective
-
Bure is keeping her faith — and her Christmas crown — shining bright.—
-
Researchers have discovered the brightest and most powerful flare ever seen from a supermassive black hole.—
Cite this Entry
“Brightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brightened. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share