| 单词 | lighten |
| 释义 | lighten (once / 249 pages) v To lighten something is to make it brighter or shine a light on it. You can lighten your dark basement room with plenty of lamps and a coat of white paint. Besides "make lighter or illuminate," another meaning of lighten is "make lighter in weight." So you can lighten your load by taking all the heavy books out of your backpack. Figuratively, "to lighten" is to be more cheerful or relaxed, as in: "She decided to lighten the somber mood in the room by telling a few of her funniest knock-knock jokes." WORD FAMILYlighten: enlighten, lightened, lightening, lightens+/enlighten: enlightened, enlightening, enlightenment, enlightens/enlightened: enlightenedest, enlightenedly, unenlightened/enlightening: enlighteningly, unenlightening/enlightenment: enlightenments, unenlightenment/light: light-colored, lighted, lighten, lighter, lightest, lighting, lightless, lightly, lightness, lights, lightsome/lighted: unlighted/lightening: lightenings/lighter: lighterage, lightered, lightering, lighters/lighting: lightings/lightless: lightlessness/lightness: lightnesses/lightsome: lightsomely, lightsomeness, lightsomer, lightsomest USAGE EXAMPLESThe morning of 22 April 2014 is beginning to lighten and he contemplates the wreckage of an unfinished season, a career rocked, a dream soured. The Guardian(Dec 25, 2016) But in the greenhouse, his mood lightens and he chats about his peppers, hanging red on the vine, and columns of kale. Washington Times(Dec 24, 2016) Part of the issue is that markets are now driven by lightening quick, complex, computerized trading programs at the big banks and investment funds. Reuters(Dec 21, 2016) 1v make lighter or brighter Syn|Ant|Hyper brighten, lighten up darken make dark or darker alter, change, modify cause to change; make different; cause a transformation 2v reduce the weight on; make lighter she lightened the load on the tired donkey Hyper disburden, unburden take the burden off; remove the burden from 3v become lighter The room lightened up Syn|Ant|Hypo|Hyper lighten up darken become dark or darker irradiate cast rays of light upon illume, illuminate, illumine, light, light upmake lighter or brighter floodlightilluminate with floodlights spotlightilluminate with a spotlight, as in the theater change undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature 4v make more cheerful the conversation lightened me up a bit Syn|Ant|Hyper buoy up, lighten up weigh down, weigh on be oppressive or disheartening to cheer show approval or good wishes by shouting 5v become more cheerful after a glass of wine, he lightened up a bit Syn|Hyper buoy up, lighten up cheer, cheer up, chirk up become cheerful 6v alleviate or remove (pressure or stress) or make less oppressive lighten the burden of caring for her elderly parents Syn|Hyper relieve mitigate make less severe or harsh |
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