ligh
ten
Third Person
lightens
Present Participle
lightening
Past Tense
lightened
Past Participle
lightened
1
to make something brighter or clearer in color
transitive
- Adding a white paint can lighten the color of the walls and make the room appear larger.
- She used a highlighting technique to lighten her hair for a sun-kissed look.
- The artist used a lighter shade of blue to lighten the sky in the landscape painting.
- Mixing in a bit of yellow can lighten the green paint for a more vibrant hue.
- He added lemon juice to the sauce to lighten its color and enhance the flavor.
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2
to reduce pressure or intensity
transitive
- Taking short breaks during work can lighten the mental load.
- Ongoing efforts are currently lightening the workload for the team.
- Delegating tasks has lightened the burden on individual team members.
- The successful completion of the project lightened the overall stress.
- Implementing new policies will lighten the regulatory burden on businesses.
Synonyms:
3
to make more cheerful and lessen tension or seriousness
transitive
- Sharing jokes and laughter with coworkers helped to lighten the atmosphere in the office.
- After a long day of work, he watched a comedy to lighten his mood and relax.
- A walk in the park on a sunny day can lighten anyone's spirits.
- She tried to lighten the mood at the family gathering by telling funny stories.
- He cracked a few jokes to lighten the tension during the stressful meeting.
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4
to become brighter or clearer in color
- As the clouds dispersed, the sky began to lighten, turning from gray to a pale blue.
- Over time, the stain on the fabric started to lighten, eventually fading away completely.
- With regular use of the skincare product, her dark spots began to lighten, revealing smoother skin.
- The dark patches on the carpet began to lighten after thorough cleaning with a carpet cleaner.
- As the storm clouds moved away, the dark sky started to lighten, bringing a sense of relief to the landscape.
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5
to become more cheerful in demeanor or mood
- Her face lit up with a smile, and her mood began to lighten as she spent time with her friends.
- As the party progressed, the atmosphere began to lighten, with guests laughing and chatting.
- Despite the rainy weather, her mood lightened when she received a surprise visit from a friend.
- With each passing day, his spirits lightened as he focused on positive aspects of his life.
- After receiving good news, her mood lightened, and she felt a weight lifted off her shoulders.
Synonyms:
6
to decrease in weight or pressure of a burden
- With each step forward, the burden on his shoulders started to lighten.
- As the airplane ascended, the pressure in the cabin lightened.
- The load on the bridge lightened as vehicles were redirected, reducing strain on the structure.
- After removing some books from the backpack, it began to lighten, making it easier to carry.
7
to reduce the weight or pressure of a burden
transitive
- She lightened her load by removing unnecessary items from her backpack before the hike.
- The engineer proposed redesigning the structure to lighten the load on the bridge.
- The doctor prescribed medication to help lighten the pressure on the patient's swollen joints.
- The airline introduced policies to lighten the weight of checked baggage, reducing fuel costs.
- Pruning the branches helped lighten the weight on the tree and prevent it from toppling over in the wind.