heighten Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb become more extreme
    rise.
    • The tension heightened
  2. verb make more extreme; raise in quantity, degree, or intensity
    • heightened interest
  3. verb increase
    enhance; raise.
    • This will enhance your enjoyment
    • heighten the tension
  4. verb increase the height of
    • The athletes kept jumping over the steadily heightened bars
  5. verb make (one's senses) more acute
    sharpen.
    • This drug will sharpen your vision
  6. verb make more intense, stronger, or more marked
    intensify; deepen; compound.
    • The efforts were intensified", "Her rudeness intensified his dislike for her
    • Pot smokers claim it heightens their awareness
    • This event only deepened my convictions

WordNet

Height"en transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Heightened present participle & verbal noun Heightening
Definitions
  1. To make high; to raise higher; to elevate.
  2. To carry forward; to advance; to increase; to augment; to aggravate; to intensify; to render more conspicuous; -- used of things, good or bad; as, to heighten beauty; to heighten a flavor or a tint. "To heighten our confusion." Addison.
    An aspect of mystery which was easily heightened to the miraculous. Hawthorne.

Webster 1913