FluentPlex

brighten

/ˈbɹaɪtən/ verb B2
  1. To make bright or brighter in color. (transitive) · We brightened the room with a new coat of paint.
  2. To make illustrious, or more distinguished; to add luster or splendor to (transitive)
  3. To make more cheerful and pleasant; to enliven (figuratively, transitive) · to brighten one’s prospects· Having Mark around the place really brightens things up.
  4. To grow bright, or more bright in color; to clear up (intransitive) · The sun starts to brighten around this time of the year.· The sky brightened as the storm moved on.
  5. To become brighter or more cheerful in mood (intransitive) · She brightened when I changed the subject.

Plural brighten · He/she/it brightens · Past brightened · Past participle brightened · -ing form brightening

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Verb forms

Base form
brighten
He/she/it
brightens
Past
brightened
Past participle
brightened
-ing form
brightening

From the library

And so it was indeed: she was now only ten inches high, and her face brightened up at the thought that she was now the right size for going through the little door into that lovely garden.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, p. 7 · B2
(The jury all brightened up again.)
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, p. 93 · B2
“Not at all,” he replied: “they were brightened by the exercise.” A short pause followed this speech, and Mrs.
Pride and Prejudice, p. 38 · B2
At last he started in his chair, and his eyes brightened.
The Return of Sherlock Holmes, p. 92 · C1

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Words, meanings, pronunciations and translations from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0); how common each word is from wordfreq. Made into this dictionary by FluentPlex.