LIGHTEN Synonyms: 66 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'lighten' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of lighten are allay , alleviate , assuage , mitigate , and relieve . While all these words mean "to make something less grievous," lighten implies reducing a burdensome or depressing weight. // good news would lighten our worries

Q: When can 'allay' be used instead of 'lighten'?

The meanings of allay and lighten largely overlap; however, allay implies an effective calming or soothing of fears or alarms. // allayed their fears

Q: Where would 'alleviate' be a reasonable alternative to 'lighten'?

The words alleviate and lighten can be used in similar contexts, but alleviate implies temporary or partial lessening of pain or distress. // the lotion alleviated the itching

Q: In what contexts can 'assuage' take the place of 'lighten'?

The synonyms assuage and lighten are sometimes interchangeable, but assuage implies softening or sweetening what is harsh or disagreeable. // ocean breezes assuaged the intense heat

Q: When would 'mitigate' be a good substitute for 'lighten'?

While in some cases nearly identical to lighten , mitigate suggests a moderating or countering of the effect of something violent or painful. // the need to mitigate barbaric laws

Q: When is 'relieve' a more appropriate choice than 'lighten'?

The words relieve and lighten are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, relieve implies a lifting of enough of a burden to make it tolerable. // took an aspirin to relieve the pain

lighten 1 of 2

verb (1)

Definition of lighten

as in to brighten

to become glad or hopeful the patient lightened when he heard the disease responds well to treatment

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lighten

2 of 2

verb (2)

ˈlī-tᵊn

as in to illumine

to supply with light the room was gradually lightened by the rising sun

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How is the word lighten different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of lighten are allay, alleviate, assuage, mitigate, and relieve. While all these words mean "to make something less grievous," lighten implies reducing a burdensome or depressing weight.

good news would lighten our worries

When can allay be used instead of lighten?

The meanings of allay and lighten largely overlap; however, allay implies an effective calming or soothing of fears or alarms.

allayed their fears

Where would alleviate be a reasonable alternative to lighten?

The words alleviate and lighten can be used in similar contexts, but alleviate implies temporary or partial lessening of pain or distress.

the lotion alleviated the itching

In what contexts can assuage take the place of lighten?

The synonyms assuage and lighten are sometimes interchangeable, but assuage implies softening or sweetening what is harsh or disagreeable.

ocean breezes assuaged the intense heat

When would mitigate be a good substitute for lighten?

While in some cases nearly identical to lighten, mitigate suggests a moderating or countering of the effect of something violent or painful.

the need to mitigate barbaric laws

When is relieve a more appropriate choice than lighten?

The words relieve and lighten are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, relieve implies a lifting of enough of a burden to make it tolerable.

took an aspirin to relieve the pain

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of lighten

Verb

But autonomous equipment and human-like robots might have to step in to help lighten the load if worker supply can’t keep up. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026 Sun dried tomatoes and oregano lighten the savory meat while fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano add a nuttiness that all melts together in the pan. — Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 24 Aug. 2026 White, meanwhile, instantly lightens an outfit to add a luminous, almost ethereal touch. — Emma Bocchi, Glamour, 21 Aug. 2026 This is not about taking our existing formula and let’s tweak it or lighten it up in terms of the coverage, or add some new shade. — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lighten

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lighten

Verb

Phase 2 begins when the fragment reaches denser air, and the meteor begins to brighten.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Apply this in the morning to brighten your skin and protect it from environmental stressors.

— Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of brighten

Verb

Fantastic, illumined by periodic excursions into surrealism, as when the crew of a mysterious UFO boards a transpacific Kahuna Airlines jet midflight.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Geraldine walked over to Felix and Jane’s for fish soup, through long autumn shadows in the park, haze rising like smoke from the grass, illumined by the low sun.

— Tessa Hadley, New Yorker, 25 Jan. 2026

Definition of illumine

Verb

Each morning at the crack of dawn, in one of the great Instagram moments of our time, 165 enormous balloons begin to swell in Cappadocia's half-light, their burners briefly illuminating the valley floor.

— Scott Campbell, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
At night, few lights are turned on inside these beautiful slabs; of the twelve units in each building, only one or two are illuminated, meaning that most people with residences there live elsewhere in the city.

— Jonathan Flint, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of illuminate

Verb

During the first hour, pine grove owners urged fire commanders to light a backfire a few hundred yards from Le Porge.

— Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Down the hall, his girlfriend examines her birth chart, lights the palo santo and wonders whether Mercury is going to wreck her Tuesday.

— Ryan Zickgraf, Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of light

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light bulbs

lighten

lightened

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“Lighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lighten. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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