as in illuminated
filled with much light
the brightened room is now a much more cheerful place for the recuperating patients
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in lightened
to become glad or hopeful
the glum soccer player started to brighten upon being told that his injury would not jeopardize his career
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of brightened
Tori Latham, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2026
But, as the evening progressed, the editor’s mood visibly brightened.
—Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
In the 2010s, her beauty brightened, from blue eyeshadow and powder blush at New York City Ballet’s Spring 2013 Gala to a bright red lip matching her nails at the 2019 MTV Video Awards.
—Essence, 18 Mar. 2026
Head to higher elevations above 2,000 feet where there is more moisture to see slopes brightened with desert lily, sand verbena and flowering Orcutt’s woody aster.
—Jessie Schiewe, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Here, her glossy bronde is brightened by traces of copper.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 11 Mar. 2026
Article continues below Since then, the comet has brightened some 600-fold to magnitude 11, bright enough to be readily detected in amateur telescopes of 8 to 10-inch aperture.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 10 Mar. 2026
Chunks of meat slowly braise until fork-tender in a hearty broth brightened by tomato and spiked with stout ale.
—Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
Looking at the full year, the picture brightened as SMCP honed its full-price strategy and concentrated on improving brand perception.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 26 Feb. 2026
Verb
The imposing exterior, made of natural Caribbean limestone and coral stone, is brightened up with turquoise gates and terrace railing.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2026
But, as the evening progressed, the editor’s mood visibly brightened.
—Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
In the 2010s, her beauty brightened, from blue eyeshadow and powder blush at New York City Ballet’s Spring 2013 Gala to a bright red lip matching her nails at the 2019 MTV Video Awards.
—Essence, 18 Mar. 2026
Head to higher elevations above 2,000 feet where there is more moisture to see slopes brightened with desert lily, sand verbena and flowering Orcutt’s woody aster.
—Jessie Schiewe, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Here, her glossy bronde is brightened by traces of copper.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 11 Mar. 2026
Article continues below Since then, the comet has brightened some 600-fold to magnitude 11, bright enough to be readily detected in amateur telescopes of 8 to 10-inch aperture.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 10 Mar. 2026
Chunks of meat slowly braise until fork-tender in a hearty broth brightened by tomato and spiked with stout ale.
—Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
Looking at the full year, the picture brightened as SMCP honed its full-price strategy and concentrated on improving brand perception.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 26 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brightened
Adjective
-
Our weeklong tester, a 2026 Escalade IQL Sport wrapped in Black Cherry Tint coat had a slew of standard features such as 22-inch wheels, Super Cruise autonomous driving, 55-inch curved display screen, heads up display, panoramic sunroof and illuminated grille to name a few.—
Marc D Grasso,
Hartford Courant,
14 Mar. 2026
-
The top-line stereo system is packaged with a half-dozen options, including head-up display and various illuminated badges and other accoutrements.—
James Raia,
Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Before the show, her hair was lightened to a sparkling blonde by Jacob Schwartz using Schwarzkopf Professional.—
Kara Jillian Brown,
InStyle,
16 Mar. 2026
-
The crowds have lightened over the decades, but the game endures.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Sphere also glowed dramatically in the background.—
Melinda Sheckells,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Sludge subjected to a fire burning at 1,550 degrees Fahrenheit glowed bright orange.—
Alex Kuffner,
The Providence Journal,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice, according to the settlement, meaning the legal matter cannot be revived.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Colombia’s interest in Venezuela’s natural gas was revived in 2022, when Petro was elected into office and restored diplomatic relations with Venezuela.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The bread is so light that the crunchy crust leads straight to the introductory blast of balsamic.—
Dominic Green,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
-
At sixty-five, Petzold, with light-hazel eyes and dark hair only just beginning to silver, still wields a boyish charisma.—
Holden Seidlitz,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Often called the Butterfly Nebula or the Bug Nebula, this object displays a striking structure involving two bright gas lobes extending in opposite directions, separated by a thick, dusty ring—known as a torus—around the central star.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Mar. 2026
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Penny is a truly bright light in the classroom, bringing a genuine joy and curiosity to her daily practice.—
Heide Janssen,
Oc Register,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brightened. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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