lighten
English
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Middle English lightnen, equivalent to light + -en.
Verb
lighten (third-person singular simple present lightens, present participle lightening, simple past and past participle lightened)
- (transitive) To make brighter or clearer; to illuminate.
- to lighten an apartment with lamps or gas; to lighten the streets
- 1667, John Dryden, Annus Mirabilis, London: Henry Herringman, stanza 231, p. 59,[1]
- A Key of fire ran all along the shore,
- And lighten’d all the river with the blaze:
- (intransitive) To become brighter or clearer; to brighten.
- (intransitive, archaic) To burst forth or dart, as lightning; to shine with, or like, lightning; to flash.
- 1595, George Peele, The Old Wives’ Tale, The Malone Society Reprints, 1908, line 500,[2]
- Enter the Conjurer; it lightens and thunders […]
- c. 1599, William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Act I, Scene 3,[3]
- […] this dreadful night,
- That thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars
- As doth the lion.
- 1595, George Peele, The Old Wives’ Tale, The Malone Society Reprints, 1908, line 500,[2]
- (transitive) To emit or disclose in, or as if in, lightning; to flash out, like lightning.
- c. 1595, William Shakespeare, Richard II, Act III, Scene 3,[4]
- […] behold his eye,
- As bright as is the eagle’s, lightens forth
- Controlling majesty:
- c. 1595, William Shakespeare, Richard II, Act III, Scene 3,[4]
- To illuminate with knowledge; to enlighten.
- 1599, John Davies, “Of the Soule of man, and the immortalitie thereof” in Nosce Teipsum. This Oracle Expounded in Two Elegies, London: John Standish, p. 10,[5]
- O Light which mak’st the Light, which makes the Day,
- Which setst the Eye without and Mind within,
- Lighten my spirit with one cleare heavenly ray,
- Which now to view it selfe doth first begin.
- 1599, John Davies, “Of the Soule of man, and the immortalitie thereof” in Nosce Teipsum. This Oracle Expounded in Two Elegies, London: John Standish, p. 10,[5]
Conjugation
Conjugation of lighten
| infinitive | (to) lighten | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| present tense | past tense | ||
| 1st-person singular | lighten | lightened | |
| 2nd-person singular | |||
| 3rd-person singular | lightens | ||
| plural | lighten | ||
| subjunctive | lighten | lightened | |
| imperative | lighten | — | |
| participles | lightening | lightened | |
Derived terms
Translations
to make brighter or clearer
|
to become light in weight
|
to become brighter or clearer
to burst forth or dart, as lightning; to shine with, or like, lightning
Etymology 2
From Middle English lightnen, equivalent to light + -en.
Verb
lighten (third-person singular simple present lightens, present participle lightening, simple past and past participle lightened)
- (transitive) To alleviate; to reduce the burden of.
- (transitive) To make light or lighter in weight.
- (transitive) To make less serious or more cheerful.
- 1611, King James Version of the Bible, Psalms 34:5,[6]
- They looked unto him, were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
- 1611, King James Version of the Bible, Psalms 34:5,[6]
- (intransitive) To become light or lighter in weight.
- (intransitive) To become less serious or more cheerful.
Conjugation
Conjugation of lighten
| infinitive | (to) lighten | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| present tense | past tense | ||
| 1st-person singular | lighten | lightened | |
| 2nd-person singular | |||
| 3rd-person singular | lightens | ||
| plural | lighten | ||
| subjunctive | lighten | lightened | |
| imperative | lighten | — | |
| participles | lightening | lightened | |
Derived terms
Translations
to alleviate
|
to make light in weight
|
to make less serious
to become light in weight
|
to become less serious
Etymology 3
Verb
lighten (third-person singular simple present lightens, present participle lightening, simple past and past participle lightened)
- To descend; to light.
- Book of Common Prayer
- O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us.
- Book of Common Prayer
Related terms
Anagrams
Categories:
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- Rhymes:English/aɪtən
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms suffixed with -en (inchoative)
- English lemmas
- English verbs
- English transitive verbs
- English intransitive verbs
- English terms with archaic senses
- English ergative verbs