lightened; lightening
ˈlīt-niŋ 
ˈlī-tᵊn-iŋ
1
: to make light or clear : illuminate
2
archaic
: enlighten
3
: to make (something, such as a color) lighter
Examples of lighten in a Sentence
Verb (1)
the room was gradually lightened by the rising sun
Verb (2)
the patient lightened when he heard the disease responds well to treatment
Recent Examples on the Web
Reuters, NBC news, 15 May 2026
Black dominates the spaces through paintwork and tiling, but fresh pops of white through the bed sheets and towels help lighten the tone.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 May 2026
Think Snake River Farms beef dashed with huckleberry, steelhead larb, Basque tortillas and churros lightened with potato flour — but expect the sharable menu to change regularly.
—Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 14 May 2026
Dark green foliage lightens toward the branch tips.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for lighten
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Verb
Nagatitan belonged to a subgroup of sauropods that possessed bones with lots of internal air sacs and thin walls, traits that lightened their skeletons.
—Reuters, NBC news, 15 May 2026
Black dominates the spaces through paintwork and tiling, but fresh pops of white through the bed sheets and towels help lighten the tone.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 May 2026
Think Snake River Farms beef dashed with huckleberry, steelhead larb, Basque tortillas and churros lightened with potato flour — but expect the sharable menu to change regularly.
—Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 14 May 2026
Dark green foliage lightens toward the branch tips.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for lighten
Cite this Entry
“Lighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lighten. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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