LIGHTEN • DICCIONARIO INGLES.COM • Definition of Lighten

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/lˈaɪtən/ Listen

verb

Lighten v. t.

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 lightened all the river with a blaze."

To illuminate with knowledge; to enlighten. (In this sense less common than enlighten.) "Lighten my spirit with one clear heavenly ray."

To emit or disclose in, or as in, lightning; to flash out, like lightning. "His eye... lightens forth Controlling majesty."

To free from trouble and fill with joy. "They looked unto him, and were lightened."

Lighten v. t.

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.

To make less burdensome or afflictive; to alleviate; as, to lighten the cares of life or the burden of grief.

To cheer; to exhilarate. "Lightens my humor with his merry jests."

Lighten v. i. To descend; to light. "O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us."

Lighten v. i. (past & past part. lightened; pres. part. lightening)

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, lightens, opens graves, and roars As doth the lion."

To grow lighter; to become less dark or lowering; to brighten; to clear, as the sky.

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Etymology of 'Lighten'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Lighten" Quotes from Famous Books

... Lord is my Shepherd," and "Or ever the silver cord be loosed or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain or the wheel broken at the cistern," and "the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the ...

— Mary Olivier: A Life • May Sinclair

... Sir FRANCIS JEUNE, and joined in by all the Jeuniors of his Court, would have wound up this portion of the proceedings, if not harmoniously, at least tunefully. For future reference, it would be known as "the Big Big D-ivorce Case." How such occasional musical outbursts would lighten the labours of the Court through many a tedious case! And in a cause un peu celebre like this, where there is a crammed house and enthusiastic audience ready to take every point, and risk possible expulsion rather ...

— Punch, Or The London Charivari, Vol. 101, December 19, 1891 • Various

... lighten the boat, and it went on much easier, the small boy shouting at the top of his voice, and urging his steed into a gallop. The fellows sat up and stared at one another. It was some seconds before they realised what had happened ...

— Three Men in a Boa • Jerome K. Jerome

... should we but lighten through a spell These murderous madmen in our country here, Their craziness to come or far or near Anew, as more they learn of prompting hell? Must not we now the CAUSE forever quell, As Hercules did one time ...

— The Continental Monthly, Vol 2, No 6, December 1862 - Devoted to Literature and National Policy • Various

... Just as no other man than Peter would ever hold her heart, so henceforth no kiss but his would ever touch her lips. But for Peter the burden would be heavier. It would be different—harder. Could she not guess how infinitely harder? And there was nothing in the world which might avail to lighten that burden. Only, perhaps, later on, it might comfort him to know that, though in this world they could never come together, the woman he loved was his completely, that she had surrendered nothing of ...

— The Moon out of Reach • Margaret Pedler

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