Lighten Works on Weight and on Brightness
To lighten is to make lighter, in either sense of that word. English keeps both meanings in one verb, which is occasionally confusing.
To lighten is to reduce a weight or a burden, and also to make something brighter. Both come from *light*, which is really two words that fell together: one meaning not heavy, one meaning illumination. The verb inherited both jobs and hardly ever causes trouble, because context is decisive.
- To make less heavy. *Lighten the load.*
- To make or become brighter. *The sky lightened.*
- To make less serious. *Lighten the mood.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | lighten | Lighten the bag. |
| Past | lightened | The room lightened. |
| Adjective | light | A light load. |
| Adverb | lightly | Lightly salted. |
| Phrase | lighten up | Lighten up a bit. |
How it is used in a sentence
- They lightened the pack before the climb.Weight.
- The sky lightened towards dawn.Brightness, with no object.
- A joke lightened the atmosphere.Mood.
The light family
- Lighten โ reduce weight, or increase brightness
- Enlighten โ inform or explain
- Lightning โ the electrical discharge; note the missing e
- Light-hearted โ cheerful and untroubled
- Make light of โ treat as unimportant
From Old English *lฤoht* in both senses, which happened to converge in form. *Lightning* is a contraction of *lightening*, the older spelling, and the two split apart in the sixteenth century.
Lightning or lightening?
Lightning is the flash in a storm. Lightening is making something lighter. The difference is one e and a great deal of embarrassment.
What does *lighten up* mean?
Relax and stop being so serious. It is friendly from a friend and irritating from anyone else.