brighten

[ brahyt-n ]
See synonyms for: brightenbrightening on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with or without object)
  1. to become or make bright or brighter.

Origin of brighten

1
First recorded in 1250–1300, brighten is from the Middle English word brightnen.See bright, -en1

Other words for brighten

Opposites for brighten

Other words from brighten

  • re·bright·en, verb
  • un·bright·ened, adjective

Words Nearby brighten

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use brighten in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for brighten

brighten

/ (ˈbraɪtən) /


verb
  1. to make or become bright or brighter

  2. to make or become cheerful

Derived forms of brighten

  • brightener, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012