lightenverb
uk/ˈlaɪ.tən/us/ˈlaɪ.t̬ən/lighten verb (BECOME BRIGHT)
[ I ] to become less dark:
The sky had lightened and there were breaks in the clouds.
Opposite
darken
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Colourless or causing colour to fade
- bleach
- colorless
- colourless
- discolour
- drab
- dull
- fade
- faded
- frost
- ghostly
- light
- muted
- paleness
- palish
- pastel
- sober
- subdued
- washed out
- weather
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lighten verb (MAKE LESS HEAVY)
lighten sb's burden, load, etc.
to make a difficult situation or responsibility easier:
Getting a new assistant will lighten (= reduce) the workload considerably.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Making things better
- a shot in the arm idiom
- add salt to sth idiom
- allay
- alleviate
- ameliorate
- heal
- make sb/sth over
- mitigate
- mollify
- more
- palliate
- redeem
- relieve
- salve
- spice
- spice sth up
- sting
- straighten
- straighten sb out
- streamline
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lighten verb (MAKE PALE)
[ T ] to make something lighter:
The sun always lightens my hair.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Colourless or causing colour to fade
- bleach
- colorless
- colourless
- discolour
- drab
- dull
- fade
- faded
- frost
- ghostly
- light
- muted
- paleness
- palish
- pastel
- sober
- subdued
- washed out
- weather
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lighten verb (MAKE/BECOME LESS SERIOUS)
[ I or T ] to (cause to) become happier and less worried:
His mood lightened after the phone call.
He tried to lighten the atmosphere by telling a joke.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Causing pleasure
- agreeable
- all things to all people idiom
- attractive
- banging
- be better than sex idiom
- brighten
- delicacy
- do sb the world of good idiom
- dreamy
- ducky
- enchant
- engaging
- jolly
- keep on the right side of sb idiom
- keep sb sweet idiom
- knock
- leafy
- lovely
- quench
- tickle
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Reassuring
Phrasal verb(s)
lighten sth up
lighten up