Lighten

• POS: Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: light=en

CIDE DICTIONARY

Lighten, v. i. [See Light to alight.].

 To descend; to light.  [1913 Webster]
"O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us."  [1913 Webster]

Lighten, v. i. [OE. lightenen. See Light to kindle, illuminate.].

•  To burst forth or dart, as lightning; to shine with, or like, lightning; to display a flash or flashes of lightning; to flash.  [1913 Webster]

  "This dreadful night,
  That thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars
  As doth the lion."  [1913 Webster]
•  To grow lighter; to become less dark or lowering; to brighten; to clear, as the sky.  [1913 Webster]

Lighten, v. t. [See Light to illuminate.].

•  To make light or clear; to light; to illuminate; as, to lighten an apartment with lamps or gas; to lighten the streets.  [1913 Webster]

  "A key of fire ran all along the shore,
  And lightened all the river with a blaze."  [1913 Webster]
•  To illuminate with knowledge; to enlighten.  [1913 Webster]

  "Lighten my spirit with one clear heavenly ray."  [1913 Webster]
•  To emit or disclose in, or as in, lightning; to flash out, like lightning.  [1913 Webster]

  "His eye . . . lightens forth
  Controlling majesty."  [1913 Webster]
•  To free from trouble and fill with joy.  [1913 Webster]

  "They looked unto him, and were lightened."  [1913 Webster]

Lighten, v. t. [See Light not heavy.].

•  To make lighter, or less heavy; to reduce in weight; to relieve of part of a load or burden; as, to lighten a ship by unloading; to lighten a load or burden.  [1913 Webster]
•  To make less burdensome or afflictive; to alleviate; as, to lighten the cares of life or the burden of grief.  [1913 Webster]
•  To cheer; to exhilarate.  [1913 Webster]

  "Lightens my humor with his merry jests."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Lighten, v.
1 a tr. & intr. make or become lighter in weight. b tr. reduce the weight or load of.
2 tr. bring relief to (the heart, mind, etc.).
3 tr. mitigate (a penalty).

Lighten, v.
1 a tr. shed light on. b tr. & intr. make or grow bright.
2 intr. a shine brightly; flash. b emit lightning (it is lightening).

THESAURUS

Lighten

abate, allay, alleviate, assuage, attemper, attenuate, bank the fire, be light, beacon, blunt, break, brighten, brighten up, chasten, cheer up, constrain, control, damp, dampen, dawn, de-emphasize, deaden, dilute, diminish, disburden, disembarrass, disencumber, downplay, dull, ease, enlighten, extenuate, flood with light, floodlight, gladden, grow bright, grow light, have little weight, highlight, illume, illuminate, illumine, irradiate, keep within bounds, kick the beam, lay, lenify, lessen, light, light up, luminate, make light, make lighter, mitigate, moderate, modulate, mollify, obtund, off-load, overshine, palliate, play down, reduce, reduce the temperature, reduce weight, relieve, relume, relumine, restrain, set at ease, shed light upon, shine, shine upon, slacken, slow down, smile, smother, sober, sober down, soften, spotlight, stifle, subdue, suppress, tame, temper, thin, throw light upon, tone down, tune down, unballast, unburden, underplay, unfreight, unlade, unload, weaken, weigh lightly

ROGET THESAURUS

Lighten

Facility

VB be easy, go on smoothly, run smoothly, have full play, go on all fours, run on all fours, obey the helm, work well, flow with the stream, swim with the stream, drift with the stream, go with the stream, flow with the tide, drift with the tide, see one's way, have all one's own way, have the game in one's own hands, walk over the course, win at a canter, make light of, make nothing of, make no bones of, be at home in, make it look easy, do it with one's eyes closed, do it in one's sleep, render easy, facilitate, smooth, ease, popularize, lighten, lighten the labor, free, clear, disencumber, disembarrass, disentangle, disengage, deobstruct, unclog, extricate, unravel, untie the knot, cut the knot, disburden, unload, exonerate, emancipate, free from, deoppilate, humor, lubricate, relieve, leave a hole to creep out of, leave a loophole, leave the matter open, give the reins to, give full play, give full swing, make way for, open the door to, open the way, prepare the ground, smooth the ground, clear the ground, open the way, open the path, open the road, pave the way, bridge over, permit.

Levity

VB be light, float, rise, swim, be buoyed up, render light, lighten, leaven.

Light

VB shine, glow, glitter, glister, glisten, twinkle, gleam, flare, flare up, glare, beam, shimmer, glimmer, flicker, sparkle, scintillate, coruscate, flash, blaze, be bright, reflect light, daze, dazzle, bedazzle, radiate, shoot out beams, fulgurate, clear up, brighten, lighten, enlighten, levin, light, light up, irradiate, shine upon, give out a light, hang out a light, cast light upon, cast light in, throw light upon, throw light in, shed light upon, shed luster upon, illume, illumine, illuminate, relume, strike a light, kindle.