Meaning & use
brighten
To make or become lighter, more colorful, or more cheerful.
See it in a sentence
Fresh paint and new curtains brightened the whole living room.
Her smile brightened as soon as she saw her old friend at the door.
A note on using this word
Brighten works both literally, for light or color, and figuratively, for mood, as in 'brighten someone's day.'
Words with a similar meaning
lightenilluminate
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Make it your own
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