brighten
brighten
Definition
brighten (brīt′'n)
transitive verb, intransitive verb
- to make or become bright or brighter
- to make or become happy or happier; gladden; cheer up
Etymology: ME < OE brihtan < beorht, bright
brighten
Synonyms
brighten
v.
brighten
Usage Examples
Followed by a transitive particle
- up: Always use color to brighten up a dull Web Site.
Object
- complexion: Naturally exfoliate and brighten the complexion with this non-drying, rebalancing preparation.
- sky: Drops inside the cone brighten the sky inside the bow.
- skin: Dissolve dirt, unplug pores, and brighten dull skin.
- eye: To brighten eyes, treat twice daily with All About Eyes.
- agent: The stock must be free of optical brightening agents.
- face: Other faces brightened for The Writer, not for The Man.
Used with why or when
- when: At least the mood brightened when we turned on the radio.
Particle object:
- corner: Left over mosaic tiles have been used to create a movable work of art to brighten up darker corners.
- evening: These will all be good events to brighten up the winter evenings.
- bit: The weather had brightened up a bit too, the midday sun melting some of the frost.
- room: We look to provide a sea of craft ideas that can brighten up any room.
- street: The idea behind the hanging basket event was to get residents to brighten up the local streets by displaying the baskets outside their homes.
- garden: They help to brighten up the late autumn garden.
Modifying Another Word
- considerably: On arriving in Oxford the weather had brightened considerably.
- instantly: Mix with your favorite foundation or apply direct to the skin to instantly brighten your complexion.
- suddenly: During the outburst event, the normally faint star suddenly brightened, becoming 600,000 times more luminous than our Sun.
- gradually: Mercury lamps strike and gradually brighten as they warm up - they have a distinctive cold blue light.
- certainly: I love its beautiful orange flowers, which certainly brighten up the dull days of February.
- soon: Day 3 The early morning was a little overcast, but soon brightened as the morning progressed.
Browse dictionary entries near brighten
- Bright's disease
- bright
- brigantine
- brigandine
- brigandage
- brigand
- brigadier general
- brigadier
- brigade
- Brig Gen
- brightly
- brightness
- Brighton
- brightwork
- Brigid
- brill
- Brill's disease
- Brillat-Savarin
- brilliance
- brilliant
