Meaning & use
brighten
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Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
To make something lighter or more colorful, or to become lighter or more colorful.
Grammar: Can take an object (brighten the room) or not (the sky brightened).
Patterns
- brighten something
- brighten something up
- something brightens
The new curtains really brighten the living room.
The sky brightened as the sun rose.
A fresh coat of paint will brighten up the walls.
verbtransitive or intransitive
To make someone feel happier or more hopeful, or to become happier or more hopeful.
Grammar: Often used with up: brighten up the mood; or without: her face brightened.
Patterns
- brighten someone's day
- brighten up
- someone's face brightens
Your visit really brightened my day.
She brightened up when she heard the good news.
His mood brightened after he talked to his friend.
Word forms
| third person singular | brightens |
|---|---|
| past tense | brightened |
| past participle | brightened |
| -ing form | brightening |
Common combinations
- brighten up
- A smile can brighten up anyone's day.
- brighten someone's day
- Her kind words brightened my day.
- brighten the mood
- The music helped brighten the mood at the party.
- brighten the room
- The lamp brightened the room enough to read.
- brighten at the thought
- He brightened at the thought of seeing his family.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lighten
- To make something less dark or less heavy; can also mean to make a mood less serious.
- illuminate
- To light something up completely; more formal and often used for technical contexts.
- cheer up
- To become or make someone happier; informal and usually used for people, not rooms.
Opposites
Word family
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
Both 'brighten' and 'brighten up' can be used transitively with an object. 'Brighten in' is not a standard pattern; 'brighten' alone works, and 'brighten up' is also common.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “brighten”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.