Antonyms for lighten
ˈlaɪt nlight·en

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. lighten

   Etymologically, to alleviate is to lift a burden toward oneself, and so lighten it for the bearer; to relieve is to lift it back from the bearer, nearly or quite away; to remove is to take it away altogether. Alleviate is thus less than relieve; relieve, ordinarily, less than remove. We alleviate, relieve or remove the trouble; we relieve, not alleviate, the sufferer. Assuage is, by derivation, to sweeten; mitigate, to make mild; moderate, to bring within measure; abate, to beat down, and so make less. We abate a fever; lessen anxiety; moderate passions or desires; lighten burdens; mitigate or alleviate pain; reduce inflammation; soften, assuage, or moderate grief; we lighten or mitigate punishments; we relieve any suffering of body or mind that admits of help, comfort, or remedy. Alleviate has been often confused with allay. Compare ALLAY.

   Antonyms:
   aggravate, augment, embitter, enhance, heighten, increase, intensify, magnify, make worse

   Synonyms:
   abate, alleviate, assuage, lessen, mitigate, moderate, reduce, relieve, remove, soften

Matched Categories

1. • Change
   • Cheer
   • Mitigate

Princeton's WordNetRate these antonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. lighten, lighten up, buoy upverb

   make more cheerful

   "the conversation lightened me up a bit"

   Antonyms:
   weigh on, darken, weigh down

   Synonyms:
   relieve, buoy up, lighten up, brighten, buoy

2. lightenverb

   reduce the weight on; make lighter

   "she lightened the load on the tired donkey"

   Antonyms:
   darken, weigh on, weigh down

   Synonyms:
   relieve, buoy up, lighten up, brighten

3. lighten, lighten up, buoy upverb

   become more cheerful

   "after a glass of wine, he lightened up a bit"

   Antonyms:
   weigh on, darken, weigh down

   Synonyms:
   relieve, buoy up, lighten up, brighten, buoy

4. brighten, lighten up, lightenverb

   make lighter or brighter

   "The paint will brighten the room"

   Antonyms:
   darken, weigh down, weigh on

   Synonyms:
   clear up, buoy up, light up, lighten up, brighten, relieve, clear

5. lighten, lighten upverb

   become lighter

   "The room lightened up"

   Antonyms:
   darken, weigh on, weigh down

   Synonyms:
   relieve, buoy up, lighten up, brighten

6. relieve, lightenverb

   alleviate or remove (pressure or stress) or make less oppressive

   "relieve the pressure and the stress"; "lighten the burden of caring for her elderly parents"

   Antonyms:
   weigh down, weigh on, darken

   Synonyms:
   exempt, lighten up, relieve, unbosom, buoy up, allay, excuse, free, ease, let off, salvage, brighten, assuage, alleviate, salve, remedy, take over, still, palliate, save

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. lightenverb

   Synonyms:
   light, illuminate, illume, ease, relieve, alleviate

How to use lighten in a sentence?

1. Purvi Raniga:

   Our internal light has the power to lighten up this whole world.

2. Jimmy Kimmel:

   You know, I was trying to lighten the mood.

3. Sally Quinn:

   O'Reilly is an entertainer and everything he does is totally subjective, including his memories, to attack him is simply to increase his ratings and the sales of his phenomenally popular books. Lighten up, everybody.

4. Marine Corps General Jim Jones:

   I think the policy is fine, i think we should lighten up a little bit about the importance of phone calls and signals that may or may not have been sent. I think policy is pretty stable and the Chinese relationship is very important.

5. Frank Tyger:

   If you cannot lift the load off another's back, do not walk away. Try to lighten it.

How to pronounce lighten?

How to say lighten in sign language?

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