lighten 1 of 2

as in to brighten
to become glad or hopeful the patient lightened when he heard the disease responds well to treatment

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

lighten

2 of 2

verb (2)

Synonym Chooser

How is the word lighten different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of lighten are allay, alleviate, assuage, mitigate, and relieve. While all these words mean "to make something less grievous," lighten implies reducing a burdensome or depressing weight.

good news would lighten our worries

When can allay be used instead of lighten?

The meanings of allay and lighten largely overlap; however, allay implies an effective calming or soothing of fears or alarms.

allayed their fears

Where would alleviate be a reasonable alternative to lighten?

The words alleviate and lighten can be used in similar contexts, but alleviate implies temporary or partial lessening of pain or distress.

the lotion alleviated the itching

In what contexts can assuage take the place of lighten?

The synonyms assuage and lighten are sometimes interchangeable, but assuage implies softening or sweetening what is harsh or disagreeable.

ocean breezes assuaged the intense heat

When would mitigate be a good substitute for lighten?

While in some cases nearly identical to lighten, mitigate suggests a moderating or countering of the effect of something violent or painful.

the need to mitigate barbaric laws

When is relieve a more appropriate choice than lighten?

The words relieve and lighten are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, relieve implies a lifting of enough of a burden to make it tolerable.

took an aspirin to relieve the pain

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lighten
Verb
In an attempt to lighten the mood, the firefighters joked with the woman about cutting off her nose or needing to use a chainsaw to release her from the chair's grip. Elizabeth Pritchett, Fox News, 16 Jan. 2025 Stram tried to both motivate and lighten the mood against the Packers by having some staff members wear Mickey Mouse ears and piping in the Mickey Mouse theme as players arrived. Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 31 Jan. 2025 The legendary Cynthia is back in the ATL as a friend and is always ready to lighten the mood when tensions arise. Dave Quinn, People.com, 30 Jan. 2025 Your dermatologist may suggest other treatments, such as lightening creams or laser treatment. Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 23 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lighten

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lighten. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on lighten

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!