• IPA: /ˈlaɪ.tən/

lighten (lightens, present participle lightening; past and past participle lightened)

1. (transitive) To make brighter or clearer; to illuminate.

   to lighten an apartment with lamps or gas; to lighten the streets

   • 1667, John Dryden, Annus Mirabilis (poem), London: Henry Herringman, stanza 231, p. 59,

     A Key of fire ran all along the shore,

     And lighten’d all the river with the blaze:

2. (intransitive) To become brighter or clearer; to brighten.
3. (intransitive, archaic) To burst forth or dart, as lightning; to shine with, or like, lightning; to flash.
   • 1595, George Peele, The Old Wives’ Tale, The Malone Society Reprints, 1908, line 500,

     Enter the Conjurer; it lightens and thunders […]

   • c. 1599, William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar (play), Act I, Scene 3,

     […] this dreadful night,

     That thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars

     As doth the lion.

4. (transitive) To emit or disclose in, or as if in, lightning; to flash out, like lightning.
   • c. 1595, William Shakespeare, Richard II (play), Act III, Scene 3,

     […] behold his eye,

     As bright as is the eagle’s, lightens forth

     Controlling majesty:

5. To illuminate with knowledge; to enlighten.
   • 1599, John Davies (poet), “Of the Soule of man, and the immortalitie thereof” in Nosce Teipsum. This Oracle Expounded in Two Elegies, London: John Standish, p. 10,

     O Light which mak’st the Light, which makes the Day,

     Which setst the Eye without and Mind within,

     Lighten my spirit with one cleare heavenly ray,

     Which now to view it selfe doth first begin.

Conjugation of lighten

infinitive	(to) lighten
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	lighten	lightened
2nd-person singular	* lighten, lightenest*	lightened, lightenedst*
3rd-person singular	lightens, lighteneth#English|lighteneth*	lightened#English|lightened
plural	lighten
subjunctive	lighten
imperative	lighten	—
participle> participles	lightening	lightened
* Archaic or obsolete.

Translations

• Russian: осветля́ть
• Spanish: aclarar

Translations

• Spanish: aligerar

Translations

• Russian: светле́ть
• Spanish: aclarar

Verb

lighten (lightens, present participle lightening; past and past participle lightened)

1. (transitive) To alleviate; to reduce the burden of.
2. (transitive) To make light or lighter in weight.
3. (transitive) To make less serious or more cheerful.
   • 1611, King James Version of the Bible, Psalms 34:5,

     They looked unto him, were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

4. (intransitive) To become light or lighter in weight.
5. (intransitive) To become less serious or more cheerful.

Conjugation

Conjugation of lighten

infinitive	(to) lighten
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	lighten	lightened
2nd-person singular	* lighten, lightenest*	lightened, lightenedst*
3rd-person singular	lightens, lighteneth#English|lighteneth*	lightened#English|lightened
plural	lighten
subjunctive	lighten
imperative	lighten	—
participle> participles	lightening	lightened
* Archaic or obsolete.

Translations

• French: alléger
• German: erleichtern
• Italian: alleggerire
• Portuguese: aliviar
• Russian: облегча́ть
• Spanish: aliviar

Translations

• Portuguese: aligeirar, aliviar
• Spanish: aligerar

Translations

• Portuguese: aligeirar
• Russian: смягча́ть

Translations

• Spanish: aligerar

Verb

lighten (lightens, present participle lightening; past and past participle lightened)

1. To descend; to light.
   • Book of Common Prayer

     O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us.

Related terms

• alight

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