lighten
- 01 B1 Intermediate
to make something weigh less or feel easier to carry.
to reduce the weight of a physical load or alleviate a metaphorical burden.
Simple“We need to lighten our bags before we start the long hike up the mountain.”
In context“The airline requested that passengers lighten their carry-on luggage to ensure the overhead bins could accommodate everyone's belongings safely.”
Antonyms - 02 B1 Intermediate
to make a colour or a room look brighter or more pale.
to increase the luminosity of a space or to reduce the saturation and darkness of a colour.
Simple“Adding a bit of white paint will lighten the blue on the walls.”
In context“The morning sun began to lighten the horizon, gradually revealing the jagged outlines of the distant coastal cliffs.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
to make a situation or a person feel less serious or more happy.
to mitigate the gravity of a situation or to improve a person's mood.
Simple“He told a funny joke to lighten the mood during the stressful meeting.”
In context“The director attempted to lighten the tone of the play by introducing several moments of physical comedy in the second act.”
- 04 C2 Proficiency
to give off flashes of lightning during a storm.
to emit flashes of lightning; used intransitively to describe atmospheric activity.
Simple“The sky began to lighten and thunder rolled across the valley.”
In context“As the tempest reached its peak, the heavens would lighten with such frequency that the landscape remained visible in a strobe-like glare.”
Synonyms
“Here's what you can do to lighten their load.”
“She called for the rules to be “lightened up a bit” so workers can use their money in times of crisis.”
From Middle English lightnen, equivalent to light + -en.
From light + -en.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.