Lighten

Definition of Lighten

Light´en Pronunciation: līt´'n

v. i.	1.	To descend; to light. O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us. - Book of Common Prayer [Eng. Ed.].
	1.	To burst forth or dart, as lightning; to shine with, or like, lightning; to display a flash or flashes of lightning; to flash. [imp. & p. p. Lightened (līt"'nd); p. pr. & vb. n. Lightening.] This dreadful night, That thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars As doth the lion. - Shak.
	2.	To grow lighter; to become less dark or lowering; to brighten; to clear, as the sky.
v. t.	1.	To make light or clear; to light; to illuminate; as, to lighten an apartment with lamps or gas; to lighten the streets. A key of fire ran all along the shore, And lightened all the river with a blaze. - Dryden.
	2.	To illuminate with knowledge; to enlighten. Lighten my spirit with one clear heavenly ray. - Sir J. Davies.
	3.	To emit or disclose in, or as in, lightning; to flash out, like lightning. His eye . . . lightens forth Controlling majesty. - Shak.
	4.	To free from trouble and fill with joy. They looked unto him, and were lightened. - Ps. xxxiv. 5.
	1.	To make lighter, or less heavy; to reduce in weight; to relieve of part of a load or burden; as, to lighten a ship by unloading; to lighten a load or burden.
	2.	To make less burdensome or afflictive; to alleviate; as, to lighten the cares of life or the burden of grief.
	3.	To cheer; to exhilarate. Lightens my humor with his merry jests. - Shak.

Related Words

abate, allay, alleviate, assuage, attemper, attenuate, bank the fire, be light, beacon, blunt, break, brighten, brighten up, chasten, cheer up, constrain, control, damp, dampen, dawn, de-emphasize, deaden, dilute, disburden, disembarrass, disencumber, downplay, dull, ease, enlighten, extenuate, flood with light, floodlight, gladden, grow bright, grow light, have little weight, highlight, illume, illuminate, illumine, irradiate, keep within bounds, kick the beam, lay, lenify, lessen, light, light up, luminate, make light, make lighter, mitigate, moderate, modulate, mollify, obtund, off-load, overshine, palliate, play down, reduce the temperature, reduce weight, relieve, relume, relumine, restrain, set at ease, shed light upon, shine, shine upon, slacken, slow down, smile, smother, sober, sober down, soften, spotlight, stifle, subdue, suppress, tame, temper, thin, throw light upon, tone down, tune down, unballast, underplay, unfreight, unlade, unload, weaken, weigh lightly

Browse

Light-foot
light-green
light-haired
Light-handed
Light-headed
Light-hearted
Light-heeled
Light-horseman
Light-legged
Light-minded
Light-o'-love
light-sensitive
light-skinned
Light-struck
Light-winged
Light-year
Lightable
lightbulb
Lighte
lighted
-Lighten-
lightening
Lighter
Lighter screw
Lighterage
Lighterman
Lightful
Lighthouse
Lighting
Lightless
lightlessness
Lightly
Lightman
Lightness
Lightning
Lightning arrester
Lightning bug
Lightning conductor
lightning discharger
Lightning glance
Lightning rod

# A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

© 2014 Delaflex, Inc.Dictionary Home | Privacy Policy