Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Lighten
Light′en
(līt′’n)
, Verb.
I.
[See
Light
to alight.] To descend; to light.
O Lord, let thy mercy
lighten
upon us. Book of Common Prayer [Eng. Ed.].
Light′en
(līt′’n)
, Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Lightened
(līt′’nd)
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Lightening
.] [OE.
lightenen
. See Light
to kindle, illuminate.] 1.
To burst forth or dart, as lightning; to shine with, or like, lightning; to display a flash or flashes of lightning; to flash.
This dreadful night,
That thunders,
As doth the lion.
That thunders,
lightens
, opens graves, and roarsAs doth the lion.
Shakespeare
2.
To grow lighter; to become less dark or lowering; to brighten; to clear, as the sky.
1.
To make light or clear; to light; to illuminate;
as, to
lighten
an apartment with lamps or gas; to lighten
the streets. [In this sense less common than light.]
A key of fire ran all along the shore,
And
And
lightened
all the river with a blaze. Dryden.
2.
To illuminate with knowledge; to enlighten.
[In this sense less common than 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 . . .
Controlling majesty.
lightens
forthControlling majesty.
Shakespeare
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 grief3.
To cheer; to exhilarate.
Lightens
my humor with his merry jests. Shakespeare
Webster 1828 Edition
Lighten
LIGHTEN
,Verb.
I.
1.
To flash; to burst forth or dart, as lightning; to shine with an instantaneous illumination.This dreadful night that thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars as doth the lion.
2.
To shine like lightning.3.
To fall; to light. Obs.LIGHTEN
,Verb.
T.
1.
To dissipate darkness; to fill with light; to spread over with light; to illuminate; to enlighten; 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.
2.
To illuminate with knowledge; in a moral sense.A light to lighten the Gentiles. Luke 2.
3.
To free from trouble and fill with joy.They looked to him and were lightened. Ps. 34.
LIGHTEN
,Verb.
T.
1.
To make lighter; to reduce in weight; to make less heavy; as, to lighten a ship by unloading; to lighten a load or burden.2.
To alleviate; to make less burdensome or afflictive; as, to lighten the cares of life; to lighten the burden of grief.3.
To cheer; to exhilarate.He lightens my humor with his merry jest.
Definition 2024
lighten
lighten
English
Verb
lighten (third-person singular simple present lightens, present participle lightening, simple past and past participle lightened)
- (transitive) To alleviate; to reduce the burden of.
- (transitive) To make light or lighter in weight.
- (transitive) To make less serious or more cheerful.
- Bible, Psalms xxxiv. 5
- They looked unto him, were lightened.
- Bible, Psalms xxxiv. 5
- (transitive) To make brighter or clearer; to illuminate.
- to lighten an apartment with lamps or gas; to lighten the streets
- Dryden
- A key of fire ran all along the shore, / And lightened all the river with a blaze.
- (intransitive) To become light or lighter in weight.
- (intransitive) To become less serious or more cheerful.
- (intransitive) To become brighter or clearer; to brighten.
- (intransitive) To burst forth or dart, as lightning; to shine with, or like, lightning; to flash.
- Shakespeare
- This dreadful night, / That thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars / As doth the lion.
- Shakespeare
- (transitive) To emit or disclose in, or as if in, lightning; to flash out, like lightning.
- Shakespeare
- His eye […] lightens forth / Controlling majesty.
- Shakespeare
- To descend; to light.
- Book of Common Prayer
- O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us.
- Book of Common Prayer
- To illuminate with knowledge; to enlighten.
- Sir J. Davies
- Lighten my spirit with one clear heavenly ray.
- Sir J. Davies
Conjugation
Conjugation of lighten
| infinitive | (to) lighten | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| present tense | past tense | |||
| 1st person singular | lighten | lightened | ||
| 2nd person singular | lighten, lightenest1 |
|||
| 3rd person singular | lightens, lighteneth1 |
|||
| plural | lighten | |||
| subjunctive | lighten | |||
| imperative | lighten | — | ||
| participles | lightening | lightened | ||
| 1) Archaic or obsolete. | ||||
Derived terms
Translations
to alleviate
|
to make light in weight
to make less serious
to make brighter or clearer
to become light in weight
|
|
to become less serious