lighten Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb make more cheerful
    lighten up; buoy up.
    • the conversation lightened me up a bit
  2. verb reduce the weight on; make lighter
    • she lightened the load on the tired donkey
  3. verb become more cheerful
    lighten up; buoy up.
    • after a glass of wine, he lightened up a bit
  4. verb make lighter or brighter
    brighten; lighten up.
    • The paint will brighten the room
  5. verb become lighter
    lighten up.
    • The room lightened up
  6. verb alleviate or remove (pressure or stress) or make less oppressive
    relieve.
    • relieve the pressure and the stress
    • lighten the burden of caring for her elderly parents

WordNet

Light"en intransitive verb
Etymology
See Light to alight.
Definitions
  1. To descend; to light.
    O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us. Book of Common Prayer [Eng. Ed.]
Light"en intransitive verb
Etymology
OE. lightenen. See Light to kindle, illuminate.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Lightened ; present participle & verbal noun Lightening
Definitions
  1. To burst forth or dart, as lightning; to shine with, or like, lightning; to display a flash or flashes of lightning; to flash.
    This dreadful night, That thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars As doth the lion. Shak.
  2. To grow lighter; to become less dark or lowering; to brighten; to clear, as the sky.
Light"en transitive verb
Etymology
See Light to illuminate.
Definitions
  1. To make light or clear; to light; to illuminate; as, to lighten an apartment with lamps or gas; to lighten the streets. In this sense less common than light.
    A key of fire ran all along the shore, And lightened all the river with a blaze. Dryden.
  2. To illuminate with knowledge; to enlighten. In this sense less common than enlighten.
    Lighten my spirit with one clear heavenly ray. Sir J. Davies.
  3. To emit or disclose in, or as in, lightning; to flash out, like lightning.
    His eye . . . lightens forth Controlling majesty. Shak.
  4. To free from trouble and fill with joy.
    They looked unto him, were lightened. Ps. xxxiv. 5.
Light"en transitive verb
Etymology
See Light not heavy.
Definitions
  1. To make lighter, or less heavy; to reduce in weight; to relieve of part of a load or burden; as, to lighten a ship by unloading; to lighten a load or burden.
  2. To make less burdensome or afflictive; to alleviate; as, to lighten the cares of life or the burden of grief.
  3. To cheer; to exhilarate.
    Lighens my humor with his merry jests. Shak.

Webster 1913