Lighten

['laɪt(ə)n] or ['laɪtn]

Definition

(verb.) become lighter; 'The room lightened up'.

(verb.) become more cheerful; 'after a glass of wine, he lightened up a bit'.

(verb.) reduce the weight on; make lighter; 'she lightened the load on the tired donkey'.

(verb.) make more cheerful; 'the conversation lightened me up a bit'.

Checked by Gardner--From WordNet

Definition

(v. i.) To descend; to light.

(v. i.) To burst forth or dart, as lightning; to shine with, or like, lightning; to display a flash or flashes of lightning; to flash.

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

(v. t.) To make light or clear; to light; to illuminate; as, to lighten an apartment with lamps or gas; to lighten the streets.

(v. t.) To illuminate with knowledge; to enlighten.

(v. t.) To emit or disclose in, or as in, lightning; to flash out, like lightning.

(v. t.) To free from trouble and fill with joy.

(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.

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

(v. t.) To cheer; to exhilarate.

Inputed by Kurt

Synonyms and Synonymous

v. n. [1]. Flash [said of lightning].[2]. [Colloquial.] Grow lighter, clear off.

v. a. [1]. Illuminate, irradiate, illume, light.[2]. Ease, make lighter, make easier.

Typed by Levi

Definition

v.t. to make light or clear: (fig.) to illuminate with knowledge.—v.i. to shine like lightning: to flash: to become less dark.—ns. Light′ning the electric flash usually followed by thunder: (Shak.) a becoming bright; Light′ning-arrest′er an apparatus used for protecting telegraph or telephone lines &c. from lightning-discharges; Light′ning-bug a sort of phosphorescent beetle or firefly; Light′ning-conduc′tor Light′ning-rod a metallic rod for protecting buildings from lightning.

Typed by Anatole