verb B2 Upper-Intermediate Uncommon

lighten

LEYE-tn

Lighten (verb) means to make or become brighter. Example: “The sky began to lighten as dawn approached.”

verb

To make or become brighter.

"The sky began to lighten as dawn approached."

To make something less heavy or less burdensome.

"They lightened the load by leaving some bags behind."

"Splitting the chores lightened everyone's workload."

To become more cheerful, or to make a mood less serious.

"A joke helped lighten the tense meeting."

How to use lighten

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo make something brighter, lighter in weight, or less serious.

Common mistake

Don't confuse with "enlighten," which means to inform or educate someone.

Easily confused with

enlighten →

Common pairings

lighten the mood lighten the load

Word forms

lightened past tense, lightened past tense, lightened past tense, lighten plural, lightened plural, lighten plural, lightened plural, lightens singular, lighten singular, lightenest singular, lightened singular, lightenedst singular, lighteneth singular, lightens singular, lightened singular, lighten singular, lightenest singular, lightenedst singular, lighteneth singular, lightens singular

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The sky began to _____ as dawn approached.

Etymology

From Middle English lightnen, formed from light + the verb-forming suffix -en.

Origin: Middle English

Rhymes for lighten

tighten frighten heighten brighten enlighten straighten

See all rhymes for lighten →

Frequently asked questions

What does “lighten” mean?

The word “lighten” means to make or become brighter. In plain terms, to make something brighter, lighter in weight, or less serious.

How do you pronounce “lighten”?

“Lighten” is pronounced LEYE-tn (/ˈlaɪ.tn̩/ in IPA).

How do you use “lighten” in a sentence?

Here is “lighten” used in a sentence: “The sky began to lighten as dawn approached.”

What part of speech is “lighten”?

“Lighten” is a verb.

Where does the word “lighten” come from?

The word “lighten” comes from Middle English. From Middle English lightnen, formed from light + the verb-forming suffix -en.

Is “lighten” a common word?

“Lighten” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

How many meanings does “lighten” have?

“Lighten” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to make or become brighter.