lightened 1 of 3

adjective

1
as in illuminated

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2
as in eased

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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

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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

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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
The dyes work best on pre-lightened hair, but certain colors can show up — with less vibrancy — on darker shades, too. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026 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
The service is not suitable for very fine hair or hair that has been heavily bleached or lightened. — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 1 Oct. 2026 Diaz’s blonde strands were lightened to an ashy platinum hue and trimmed to her shoulders. — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 20 Aug. 2026 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lightened
  1. illuminated
  2. eased
  3. brightened
  4. illumined
  5. dazzling
  6. decreased
  7. lit
  8. shiny
Adjective
  • Some beauty tools signal their operation through illuminated controls, screens or vibration.
    — Advertorial, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • It is displayed on a large-scale illuminated sign during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain, on March 4, 2026.
    — Jenny Lee, CNBC, 7 Oct. 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
  • The green is equally luscious in texture, made with chicken thigh and skin, but intensely herbaceous, brightened with parsley, cilantro, poblano and jalapeño.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
  • In its latest incarnation, designed by the firm S9, the curtain wall has darkened and the electronic billboards brightened, so that the tower resembles a TV mount, more apparatus than architecture.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 1 Oct. 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
  • Food and drink Upon my arrival, I was wooed by the dazzling signature welcome cocktail made with gin, pineapple, herbal liqueur, and tamarind jamu.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The hardware is gorgeous, the display is dazzling, and the performance is great for productivity tasks.
    — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 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
  • Inside, the lobby is dimly lit in soothing lavender and blue and house music is piped in by surround sound.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Office of President Herzog At the president’s residence in Jerusalem, President Isaac Herzog and first lady Michal Herzog lit a memorial candle to open the day’s commemorative events.
    — Charlene Gubash, NBC news, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of lit
Adjective
  • The Lotte sticks out from its Downtown surroundings, the shiny glass of the tower skyrocketing up from the otherwise ordinary city streets.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Deion Sanders is no longer the shiny object that caught the college football world by storm at Jackson State, and subsequently, Colorado in his first two years.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of shiny

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Lightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lightened. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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