lightened 1 of 3

adjective

1
as in illuminated

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in eased

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Dissimilar Words

lightened

2 of 3

verb (1)

past tense of lighten
as in brightened
to become glad or hopeful the patient lightened when he heard the disease responds well to treatment

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

lightened

3 of 3

verb (2)

past tense of lighten
as in illumined
to supply with light the room was gradually lightened by the rising sun

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 lightened
Adjective
Instead, Guarnaschelli recommends color drenching the ceiling in darker rooms, either with the same color or a slightly lightened shade. — Heather Bien, Southern Living, 14 July 2026 New photos show the singer with lightened hair. — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 28 May 2026 Robinson added 17 points, 11 rebounds, two steals and a block, and both Mikal Bridges (23 minutes) and Josh Hart (28) saw lightened workloads as the Knicks made quick work of the Bulls on Friday. — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026 Only two of the eight wives this season are blonde, a stark difference from season one wherein all but one had highlights, lightened hair, or full-on bleach jobs. — Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
In a large bowl, beat egg yolks with an electric mixer until thickened and lightened in color, and when lifted, the beaters leave a ribbon on the surface. — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Aug. 2026 Continue mixing on low until the batter has lightened, about 2 minutes. — Terrence Hayes, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2026 Almost every area of the AMR26 has been refined or lightened. — Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 24 July 2026 Yamamoto’s gem not only set up the Dodgers for the win but also lightened the load on a bullpen tasked with covering Game 2. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2026 Hinduism is a narrative religion; its mercurial wisdom is lightened and sweetened by stories, softened by ambiguities, sharpened by paradoxes. — Chandrahas Choudhury, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 July 2026 The sweetness of vanilla is contrasted with sharp musk and sandalwood and lightened with fresh jasmine. — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 23 June 2026 Congress has since lightened some of the harsh mandatory penalties that applied to Bailey and others convicted back in the 1990s. — Carrie Johnson, NPR, 23 June 2026 His workload was certainly lightened with the casting of Cayleigh Capaldi as his Maria. — Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 4 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lightened
  1. illuminated
  2. eased
  3. brightened
  4. illumined
  5. dazzling
  6. decreased
  7. lit
  8. shiny
Adjective
  • From the Rodeo Drive entrance, the store opens into a bright accessories area where handbags are spaced along illuminated stone shelves and glass-and-metal vitrines.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The team's official drumline, The Pack, pounded on illuminated drums during quarter breaks, while Skye, the team's sassy, blue-haired lioness mascot, jumped onto the T-shirt cannon to launch souvenir merchandise high into stadium seats.
    — Odette Yousef, NPR, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of illuminated
Adjective
  • Real estate developers are already cautiously planning to take advantage of the eased regulations and plan to announce new projects after the law goes into effect.
    — Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
  • Despite the eased restrictions, Rader is still only allowed out of his 8-foot-by-10-foot cell for one hour a day, five days a week.
    — Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
Definition of eased
Verb
  • This treatment has noticeably brightened and smoothed my bags, however, thanks to its ingredient roster of retinol and other skin care superstars like the PDRN- and peptide-packed picks above.
    — Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Around that time, the comet experienced a large outburst, which brightened it about 8,000 times.
    — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of brightened
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
Definition of illumined
Adjective
  • Williams and Alcaraz, who were both returning from injuries, wowed fans with dazzling rallies and impassioned play in an opening-round win before they were knocked out in the quarterfinals.
    — Ashley Mowreader, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Two New York City icons shone a dazzling pink last night in honor of another icon, the great Dolly Parton, who died yesterday following a brief battle with cancer.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of dazzling
Adjective
  • Some of these studies even suggest a decreased risk of breast cancer with certain formulations of menopausal hormone therapy.
    — Versha Pleasant, The Conversation, 30 July 2026
  • He was slowed early in his recovery from a knee injury and then saw a decreased role in the rotation in the last month, playing only seven minutes in three tournament games.
    — Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026
Definition of decreased
Verb
  • The child, police said in previous testimony, was not wearing a safety grounding wrist strap that could have prevented the static spark that lit the flames.
    — Kristen Jordan Shamus, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Many from the Liberty and William Jewell communities, including Barnett’s high school coaches, lit a candle in his name.
    — PJ Green August 30, Kansas City Star, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of lit
Adjective
  • So who might clutch a shiny gold statuette onstage at the 2026 Primetime Emmys?
    — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The new Lustreglass Lip Tint is a glossy, juicy, stay-on-your-lips formula that gives you the shiniest, prettiest pout.
    — Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of shiny

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lightened
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Cite this Entry

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

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