Synonyms for lighten
ˈlaɪt nlight·en

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. lighten

   Etymologically, to alleviate is to lift a burden toward oneself, and so lighten it for the bearer; to relieve is to lift it back from the bearer, nearly or quite away; to remove is to take it away altogether. Alleviate is thus less than relieve; relieve, ordinarily, less than remove. We alleviate, relieve or remove the trouble; we relieve, not alleviate, the sufferer. Assuage is, by derivation, to sweeten; mitigate, to make mild; moderate, to bring within measure; abate, to beat down, and so make less. We abate a fever; lessen anxiety; moderate passions or desires; lighten burdens; mitigate or alleviate pain; reduce inflammation; soften, assuage, or moderate grief; we lighten or mitigate punishments; we relieve any suffering of body or mind that admits of help, comfort, or remedy. Alleviate has been often confused with allay. Compare ALLAY.

   Synonyms:
   abate, alleviate, assuage, lessen, mitigate, moderate, reduce, relieve, remove, soften

   Antonyms:
   aggravate, augment, embitter, enhance, heighten, increase, intensify, magnify, make worse

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. lighten, lighten up, buoy upverb

   make more cheerful

   "the conversation lightened me up a bit"

   Synonyms:
   relieve, buoy up, lighten up, brighten, buoy

   Antonyms:
   weigh on, darken, weigh down

2. lightenverb

   reduce the weight on; make lighter

   "she lightened the load on the tired donkey"

   Synonyms:
   relieve, buoy up, lighten up, brighten

   Antonyms:
   darken, weigh on, weigh down

3. lighten, lighten up, buoy upverb

   become more cheerful

   "after a glass of wine, he lightened up a bit"

   Synonyms:
   relieve, buoy up, lighten up, brighten, buoy

   Antonyms:
   weigh on, darken, weigh down

4. brighten, lighten up, lightenverb

   make lighter or brighter

   "The paint will brighten the room"

   Synonyms:
   clear up, buoy up, light up, lighten up, brighten, relieve, clear

   Antonyms:
   darken, weigh down, weigh on

5. lighten, lighten upverb

   become lighter

   "The room lightened up"

   Synonyms:
   relieve, buoy up, lighten up, brighten

   Antonyms:
   darken, weigh on, weigh down

6. relieve, lightenverb

   alleviate or remove (pressure or stress) or make less oppressive

   "relieve the pressure and the stress"; "lighten the burden of caring for her elderly parents"

   Synonyms:
   exempt, lighten up, relieve, unbosom, buoy up, allay, excuse, free, ease, let off, salvage, brighten, assuage, alleviate, salve, remedy, take over, still, palliate, save

   Antonyms:
   weigh down, weigh on, darken

Matched Categories

1. • Change
   • Cheer
   • Mitigate

Editors ContributionRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. alleviate

   etymologically, to alleviate is to lift a burden toward oneself, and so lighten it for the bearer; to relieve is to lift it back from the bearer, nearly or quite away; to remove is to take it away altogether. alleviate is thus less than relieve; relieve, ordinarily, less than remove. we alleviate, relieve or remove the trouble; we relieve, not alleviate, the sufferer. assuage is, by derivation, to sweeten; mitigate, to make mild; moderate, to bring within measure; abate, to beat down, and so make less. we abate a fever; lessen anxiety; moderate passions or desires; lighten burdens; mitigate or alleviate pain; reduce inflammation;[34] soften, a ssuage, or moderate grief; we lighten or mitigate punishments; we relieve any suffering of body or mind that admits of help, comfort, or remedy. alleviate has been often confused with allay. compare allay.

   Submitted by santoshk.61727 on June 10, 2023  

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. lightenverb

   Synonyms:
   flash [said of lightning]

2. lightenverb

   Synonyms:
   [Colloquial.] grow lighter, clear off

3. lightenverb

   Synonyms:
   illuminate, irradiate, illume, light

4. lightenverb

   Synonyms:
   ease, make lighter, make easier

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. lightenverb

   Synonyms:
   light, illuminate, illume, ease, relieve, alleviate

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "lighten":

   alleviate, ease, relieve, reduce, mitigate, lessen

How to pronounce lighten?

How to say lighten in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use lighten in a sentence?

1. Jimmy Kimmel:

   You know, I was trying to lighten the mood.

2. Marine Corps General Jim Jones:

   I think the policy is fine, i think we should lighten up a little bit about the importance of phone calls and signals that may or may not have been sent. I think policy is pretty stable and the Chinese relationship is very important.

3. Paula Mitchell:

   The average time for the California Supreme Court to decide these death penalty appeal cases is about 15 years, but some cases have lasted 20 to 25 years, other states with the death penalty, like Texas, have an intermediate court of criminal appeals to handle the direct appeals and lighten the caseload for those states' courts of last resort.

4. Sally Quinn:

   O'Reilly is an entertainer and everything he does is totally subjective, including his memories, to attack him is simply to increase his ratings and the sales of his phenomenally popular books. Lighten up, everybody.

5. Norman Levine:

   A lot of investors have piled into the energy sector. It's time to leave, they're going back down again. That's an unsustainable rise, investors would be wise to lighten up, if not totally exit energy stocks for now.