Lighten (Verb)
Meaning 1
Make more cheerful through the use of color; "The paint will brighten the room".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- A fresh coat of paint can lighten the room's dreary atmosphere with a splash of sunshine yellow.
- Adding colorful throw pillows can lighten the space by drawing attention away from the dull furniture.
- The interior designer chose a soft blue for the walls to lighten the mood of the formerly gloomy office.
- New curtains with a floral pattern will lighten the room's ambiance, transforming it into a cozy retreat.
- The vibrant artwork on the walls serves to lighten the space and create a welcoming atmosphere for guests.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
Reduce the weight on; make lighter; "she lightened the load on the tired donkey".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- Shifting some boxes to the other truck helped lighten the load on the axle.
- To lighten the mood, the comedian began telling jokes.
- She lightened the load on her backpack by giving some supplies to her hiking partner.
- New aluminum components helped lighten the aircraft and improve fuel efficiency.
- Removing the furniture from the elevator helped lighten the load and make the ride smoother.
Hypernyms
Meaning 3
Become more cheerful; "after a glass of wine, he lightened up a bit".
Classification
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing.
Examples
- She began to lighten up once the party music started playing.
- The atmosphere in the room started to lighten once they shared a few jokes.
- After watching a funny video, he lightened up and stopped being so serious.
- The couple's mood lightened once they received the surprise gift from friends.
- A few chords of her favorite song were enough to lighten her mood.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 4
Become lighter; "The room lightened up".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- As the cloud drifted away, the area lightened up, exposing a majestic landscape.
- The atmosphere in the hospital lightened when the doctors announced that the surgery was a success.
- After taking off my heavy backpack, my load lightened, allowing me to walk more easily.
- The room lightened with the dawn of a new day as sunlight slowly poured in through the blinds.
- She smiled and instantly, her mood lightened, washing away the lingering gloom.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Hyponyms
Meaning 5
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".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- Exercise can help lighten the emotional burden of depression and anxiety.
- The spa day was intended to lighten the stress and pressure of the past few months.
- Taking regular breaks at work can help lighten the workload and improve overall well-being.
- Her sister offered to lighten the load of childcare responsibilities for the weekend.
- Her supportive partner helped lighten the pressure of dealing with financial struggles.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 6
Make more cheerful; "the conversation lightened me up a bit".
Classification
Verbs of feeling.
Examples
- Her presence at the party seemed to lighten the mood of the guests.
- The bad news was quite a blow but a phone call from an old friend helped lighten me up a bit.
- The change in scenery really helped to lighten the atmosphere in the house.
- A few well-timed jokes managed to lighten things up during the tense meeting.
- Some words of encouragement from my sister did a lot to lighten my spirits after the disappointment.