slighten

English

Etymology

From slight +‎ -en. Related to German schlichten (“to smoothen”). More at slight.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /slaɪ.tən/

Verb

slighten (third-person singular simple present slightens, present participle slightening, simple past and past participle slightened)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To make or become slight; make or become less pronounced, less noticeable, or less obvious.
   • 2004, D. L. Larson, Memories Trail, page 459:

     His smile slightened as if he knew they talked of him.

   • 2007, Jack Womack, Elvissey:

     With tissue I softened my rouge, slightened my lipstick; studying my redesigns in my green compact's mirror I marveled, seeing yet another strange face.

2. (transitive) To slight.
   • 1920, Arthur Quiller-Couch, On the Art of Reading:

     […] as God forbid that anyone should hint a slightening word of what our sons and brothers are doing just now, and doing for us!

   • 1997, Rajendra Kumar Sharma, Sociological Methods and Techniques, page 257:

     They may take ill or feel slightened for not having been approached directly.

   • 1603 (first performance; published 1605), Beniamin Ionson [i.e., Ben Jonson], “Seianus his Fall. A Tragœdie. […]”, in The Workes of Beniamin Ionson (First Folio), London: […] Will[iam] Stansby, published 1616, →OCLC:

     It is an odious wisdom to blaspheme,
     Much more to slighten, or deny their powers

3. (transitive, regional) To level out, smooth, or flatten.

   to slighten the sheets out

References

• The Dictionary of the Scots Language

Anagrams

• enlights, lightens, slingeth