lighten

English

Etymology

From light +‎ -en.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlaɪ.tən/
• Rhymes: -aɪtən

Verb

lighten ‎(third-person singular simple present lightens, present participle lightening, simple past and past participle lightened)

1. (transitive) To alleviate; to reduce the burden of.
2. (transitive) To make light or lighter in weight.
3. (transitive) To make less serious or more cheerful.
   • Bible, Psalms xxxiv. 5

     They looked unto him, were lightened.

4. (transitive) To make brighter or clearer; to illuminate.

   to lighten an apartment with lamps or gas; to lighten the streets

   • Dryden

     A key of fire ran all along the shore, / And lightened all the river with a blaze.

5. (intransitive) To become light or lighter in weight.
6. (intransitive) To become less serious or more cheerful.
7. (intransitive) To become brighter or clearer; to brighten.
8. (intransitive) To burst forth or dart, as lightning; to shine with, or like, lightning; to flash.
   • Shakespeare

     This dreadful night, / That thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars / As doth the lion.

9. (transitive) To emit or disclose in, or as if in, lightning; to flash out, like lightning.
   • Shakespeare

     His eye […] lightens forth / Controlling majesty.

10. To descend; to light.
    • Book of Common Prayer

      O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us.

11. To illuminate with knowledge; to enlighten.
    • Sir J. Davies

      Lighten my spirit with one clear heavenly ray.

Conjugation

Conjugation of lighten

infinitive	(to) lighten
	present tense	past tense
1st person singular	lighten	lightened
2nd person singular	lighten, lightenest1
3rd person singular	lightens, lighteneth1
plural	lighten
subjunctive	lighten
imperative	lighten	—
participles	lightening	lightened
1) Archaic or obsolete.

Derived terms

• lighten up

Translations

to alleviate

• Aromanian: lishuredz
• Catalan: alleujar (ca), alleugerir (ca)
• Dutch: verlichten (nl)
• Finnish: keventää
• French: alléger (fr)
• Gallurese: alliciricà
• German: erleichtern (de)
• Ido: alejar (io), lejerigar (io)
• Italian: alleggerire (it)
• Korean: 덜어주다 ‎(deoreojuda)

• Portuguese: aliviar (pt)
• Romanian: ușura (ro)
• Russian: облегча́ть (ru) impf ‎(oblexčátʹ), обле́гчить (ru) pf ‎(obléxčitʹ)
• Sardinian:

  Campidanese: allebiai, allixerai

  Logudorese: allezerire, disaggraviare, illepiare

• Sassarese: allizarigà, alliziriggà
• Spanish: aliviar (es)
• Swedish: lätta (sv)

to make light in weight

• Aromanian: lishuredz
• Asturian: allixerar
• Catalan: alleugerir (ca)
• Finnish: keventää
• Galician: alixeirar (gl)

• Ido: alejar (io), lejerigar (io) (literary)
• Maori: whakamāmā
• Portuguese: aligeirar (pt), aliviar (pt)
• Romanian: ușura (ro)
• Spanish: aligerar (es)
• Swedish: lätta (sv)

to make less serious

• Finnish: keventää
• Ido: gayigar (io), klarigar (io) (a subject)

• Portuguese: aligeirar (pt)
• Russian: смягча́ть (ru) impf ‎(smjaxčátʹ), смягчи́ть (ru) pf ‎(smjaxčítʹ)
• Swedish: lätta (sv)

to make brighter or clearer

• Finnish: valaista (fi), kirkastaa (fi)
• Ido: lumizar (io)

• Russian: осветля́ть (ru) impf ‎(osvetljátʹ), осветли́ть (ru) pf ‎(osvetlítʹ)
• Spanish: aclarar (es)

to become light in weight

• Catalan: alleugerir-se (ca)
• Finnish: keventyä, kevetä

• Ido: lejereskar (io)
• Spanish: aligerarse (es)
• Swedish: lätta (sv)

to become less serious

• Finnish: keventyä

• Ido: gayeskar (io), klareskar (a subject)
• Swedish: lätta (sv)

to become brighter or clearer

• Finnish: valaistua (fi), kirkastua
• Ido: lumar (io)

• Russian: светле́ть (ru) impf ‎(svetlétʹ), посветле́ть (ru) pf ‎(posvetlétʹ)
• Spanish: aclararse (es)