as in to brighten
to become glad or hopeful
the patient lightened when he heard the disease responds well to treatment
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as in to illumine
to supply with light
the room was gradually lightened by the rising sun
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Recent Examples of lighten
Jeanne Ballion, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2025
Any hope that a 3-1 win over Cardiff City to progress to the Carabao Cup semi-finals would lighten Maresca’s mood were soon quashed post match.
—Simon Johnson, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025
Using an immersion blender or mixer, beat the yolks with the sugar in a large mixing bowl until the mixture lightens in color.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 13 Dec. 2025
Antoine said getting Jones back on track is key to lightening the load on the Bobcats' other creators.
—Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lighten
Verb
On deep skin tones, the gray adds a pop of contrasting color, lightening the lashes that frame the eye.
—Cite this Entry
“Lighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lighten. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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