lighten
gb/lˈaɪtən/ us/lˈaɪtən/
B1
English
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B1
action
1
make something less heavy
To make something not so heavy.
Usage pattern:
lighten [something]
Common mistake:
Don’t confuse with lighten meaning “make brighter” or “make a color paler.”
Synonyms
reduce (More general; not only about weight.)
|
make lighter (Direct paraphrase; very common in explanations.)
|
unload (Focuses on removing carried items/cargo.)
Antonyms
weigh down (Makes something heavier or harder to carry.)
|
load (Adds weight or cargo.)
Collocations
lighten the load
|lighten a suitcase
|lighten a bag
|lighten a backpack
|lighten the boat
|lighten the weight
|lighten the box
|lighten your luggage
Themes
daily_life
|travel
|shopping
Examples
- We lightened our suitcases by leaving the boots at home.
- If you want to carry it farther, you’ll need to lighten the box.
- They lightened the boat by throwing extra gear onto the shore.
Learner examples
- I need to lighten my bag.
- We lightened the suitcase before the flight.
Verb
B2
action
2
make something brighter
To make something brighter.
Usage pattern:
lighten [place/image/screen]
Common mistake:
In photo editing, lighten means increase brightness, not change weight.
Synonyms
brighten (The most direct synonym for increasing brightness.)
|
illuminate (More formal; emphasizes providing light.)
|
light up (Often suggests turning on lights or sudden brightness.)
Antonyms
darken (Makes something less bright.)
|
dim (Reduces brightness, often slightly.)
Collocations
lighten a room
|lighten the hallway
|lighten the image
|lighten a photo
|lighten the background
|lighten the screen
|lighten the scene
|lighten the shadows
Themes
home
|technology
|art_design
Examples
- A skylight would really lighten this kitchen.
- Can you lighten the photo a bit? It’s too dark to see their faces.
- She moved the lamp to lighten the corner of the room.
Learner examples
- Open the curtains to lighten the room.
- I lightened the picture on my phone.
Verb
B2
action
3
make a color paler
To make a color more light (more pale).
Usage pattern:
lighten [color/hair] (to [shade])
Common mistake:
Lighten (color) is about shade; it doesn’t mean “turn on a light.”
Synonyms
pale (Often used for making something look less dark, especially skin or color.)
|
bleach (Stronger; specifically uses chemicals, often for hair/fabric.)
|
dilute (Used for paint/ink; suggests adding liquid or white.)
Antonyms
darken (Makes a color deeper or less light.)
|
deepen (Makes a color richer/darker.)
Collocations
lighten your hair
|lighten the shade
|lighten the blue
|lighten the paint
|lighten the color
|lighten the tone
|lighten highlights
|lighten the walls
Themes
appearance
|art_design
|beauty
Examples
- She decided to lighten her hair for the summer.
- Add a little white to lighten the green.
- The designer chose a lighter fabric to lighten the overall look of the room.
Learner examples
- I want to lighten my hair.
- We can lighten the paint with white.
Verb
B2
action
4
make mood less serious
To make people feel more relaxed and happy.
Usage pattern:
lighten [the mood/atmosphere] (with [something])
Common mistake:
Lighten (the mood) is not the same as “light” (set on fire) or “lighten” (make brighter).
Synonyms
cheer up (Often focuses on improving feelings, especially after sadness.)
|
liven up (Adds energy and fun, not just reducing tension.)
|
ease (Focuses on reducing tension or awkwardness.)
Antonyms
sober (Makes the mood more serious.)
|
tense (Creates or increases tension.)
Collocations
lighten the mood
|lighten the atmosphere
|lighten the tone
|lighten the conversation
|lighten the tension
|lighten things up
|lighten the moment
Themes
emotions
|social
|communication
Examples
- He made a joke to lighten the mood.
- Music helped lighten the atmosphere after the argument.
- She tried to lighten the conversation by changing the subject.
Learner examples
- A joke can lighten the mood.
- Let’s play music to lighten things up.
Verb
B2
action
5
make a burden less severe
To make a difficult thing easier or smaller.
Usage pattern:
lighten [a burden/workload/pressure/pain]
Common mistake:
Lighten is less direct than fix/solve; it usually means reduce, not remove completely.
Synonyms
ease (Very common; emphasizes making something less hard to bear.)
|
relieve (Stronger; often used for pain, stress, or responsibility.)
|
alleviate (More formal; common in writing about problems or pain.)
Antonyms
worsen (Makes a problem or burden more severe.)
|
intensify (Increases strength, pressure, or pain.)
Collocations
lighten the burden
|lighten the workload
|lighten the pressure
|lighten the strain
|lighten the pain
|lighten the impact
|lighten the cost
|lighten the financial load
Themes
work
|health
|money
|emotions
Examples
- Hiring an assistant would lighten her workload.
- The new subsidy is meant to lighten the financial pressure on families.
- A warm bath helped lighten the pain in his back.
Learner examples
- This will lighten my workload.
- Medicine can lighten the pain.
Verb
B2
process
6
become less heavy or intense
To become less strong or less heavy.
Usage pattern:
[something] lightens
Common mistake:
In this meaning, lighten is intransitive (no object): “The rain lightened.”
Synonyms
ease (Very common for rain, pain, or pressure becoming less strong.)
|
let up (Informal; especially for rain or bad conditions stopping or becoming less strong.)
|
subside (More formal; suggests a gradual decrease.)
Antonyms
worsen (Becomes more severe.)
|
intensify (Becomes stronger or heavier.)
Collocations
the rain lightened
|the wind lightened
|the storm lightened
|traffic lightened
|the workload lightened
|the mood lightened
|the pressure lightened
Themes
weather
|transport
|daily_life
Examples
- The rain finally lightened after lunch.
- Traffic began to lighten once the accident was cleared.
- As the deadline moved, the pressure gradually lightened.
Learner examples
- The rain lightened in the afternoon.
- Traffic lightened after 7 p.m.
Grammar
Dictionary form
lighten
IPA
GB/lˈaɪtən/
US/lˈaɪtən/
Syllables & stress
light - en (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (light)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: lighten
- 3rd Person Singular: lightens
- Present Participle: lightening
- Past: lightened
Word family
Expressions
lighten the blow
1/lˈaɪtən ðə blˈoʊ/
fixed phrase
make bad news less painful
To make bad news easier to hear.
Examples
- They offered him a generous severance package to lighten the blow.
- She tried to lighten the blow by starting with some good news.
- Humor can sometimes lighten the blow of an awkward situation.
lighten the load
1/lˈaɪtən ðə lˈoʊd/
fixed phrase
reduce work or burden
To make someone’s work or burden smaller.
Examples
- I’ll take the first shift to lighten the load for the rest of the team.
- A few small donations can help lighten the load for families in crisis.
- She asked her coworker to handle the calls to lighten her load.
lighten the mood
1/lˈaɪtən ðə mˈud/
fixed phrase
make atmosphere more relaxed
To make people feel less tense.
Examples
- He told a funny story to lighten the mood.
- She tried to lighten the mood, but everyone stayed quiet.
- A bit of music can really lighten the mood during a long meeting.
lighten up
1/lˈaɪtən ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
informal
relax; be less serious
To relax and not be so serious.
Examples
- Lighten up—he was only joking.
- She needs to lighten up and stop worrying about every detail.
- I was trying to lighten him up, but it didn’t work.
lighten up on
1/lˈaɪtən ˈʌp ˈɔn/
phrasal verb
informal
be less strict or critical
To be less strict or less angry with someone.
Examples
- Lighten up on your brother—he’s doing his best.
- The coach finally lightened up on them after the tournament ended.
- Try to lighten up on yourself when you make small mistakes.