as in brightening
to become glad or hopeful
the patient lightened when he heard the disease responds well to treatment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in illuminating
to supply with light
the room was gradually lightened by the rising sun
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 lightening
Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 8 Feb. 2026
Today is about lightening burdens.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2026
The Sorcerer uses a 964 monocoque and adds carbon fiber elements in the bodywork, while lightening the chassis.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 23 Jan. 2026
Cutting my tresses wasn't a consideration at the time, but lightening them didn’t seem so scary.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 20 Jan. 2026
On deep skin tones, the gray adds a pop of contrasting color, lightening the lashes that frame the eye.
—Jeanne Ballion, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2025
Antoine said getting Jones back on track is key to lightening the load on the Bobcats' other creators.
—Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 5 Dec. 2025
No problem, because some stars like Alison Williams and Tate McRae have shown us there's a much quicker way to add brightness to your look by simply just lightening your front pieces.
—Karli Bendlin, PEOPLE, 24 Nov. 2025
Verb
This is about lightening your load before the eclipse ahead, not pushing through out of pride.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 8 Feb. 2026
Today is about lightening burdens.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2026
The Sorcerer uses a 964 monocoque and adds carbon fiber elements in the bodywork, while lightening the chassis.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 23 Jan. 2026
Cutting my tresses wasn't a consideration at the time, but lightening them didn’t seem so scary.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 20 Jan. 2026
On deep skin tones, the gray adds a pop of contrasting color, lightening the lashes that frame the eye.
—Jeanne Ballion, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2025
Antoine said getting Jones back on track is key to lightening the load on the Bobcats' other creators.
—Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 5 Dec. 2025
No problem, because some stars like Alison Williams and Tate McRae have shown us there's a much quicker way to add brightness to your look by simply just lightening your front pieces.
—Karli Bendlin, PEOPLE, 24 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lightening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lightening. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
