brightened; brightening
ˈbrīt-niŋ 
ˈbrī-tᵊn-iŋ
1
: to make bright or brighter
you brightened my day
2
: to enhance or intensify the flavor of (food) especially by adding an acidic element (such as citrus juice or vinegar)
Crisp lemon slices brighten smoky bacon and rosemary-infused trout.—
Melissa Roberts-Matar
Melissa Roberts-Matar
Examples of brighten in a Sentence
He brightened the picture on the television.
Flowers can brighten any room.
The good news brightened her mood.
The sky brightened after the storm.
Business prospects brightened last month.
Her face brightened in relief when she heard that he was not hurt.
Recent Examples on the Web
But in the Best Way Dew-Glow contains skin-loving ingredients like squalane for hydration, niacinamide to even tone, and vitamin C to help brighten and fend off free radicals.
—Kathleen Suico, Allure, 13 Apr. 2024
Lime Zest & Matcha Classic Candle $48.00 This award-winning candle by Nest will boost her energy and brighten her mood with this scented candle featuring invigorating notes of lime zest, green tea, clary sage and bergamot.
—Nora Colomer, Fox News, 12 Apr. 2024
Just enough high energy to brighten up my mornings.
—Eda Yu, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Apr. 2024
Finding ingredients to penetrate our drier, thicker body skin, eventually resulted in Body Reform’s brightening vitamin C, plumping amino acid, and KP-reducing Hydronesis™ formula.
—Essence, 27 Mar. 2024
Watercress, Snow Pea and Shiitake Stir-Fry Eating green is easy in this vegan main that combines snow peas with watercress and mushrooms, brightened even more by ginger and orange juice.
—Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024
California’s water outlook has brightened for now, but salmon and other fish are still in peril.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Fresh strawberries, both inside and out, make the strawberry pie extra summery, and a little sprinkle of lemon zest brightens up each bite.
—Joy Howard, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2024
The show’s centerpiece is a triptych that shifts as usual from red to yellow to blue, but the colors are cascades of drips deepened by blacks and brightened by flashes of white.
—Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
Kathleen Suico, Allure, 13 Apr. 2024
Lime Zest & Matcha Classic Candle $48.00 This award-winning candle by Nest will boost her energy and brighten her mood with this scented candle featuring invigorating notes of lime zest, green tea, clary sage and bergamot.
—Nora Colomer, Fox News, 12 Apr. 2024
Just enough high energy to brighten up my mornings.
—Eda Yu, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Apr. 2024
Finding ingredients to penetrate our drier, thicker body skin, eventually resulted in Body Reform’s brightening vitamin C, plumping amino acid, and KP-reducing Hydronesis™ formula.
—Essence, 27 Mar. 2024
Watercress, Snow Pea and Shiitake Stir-Fry Eating green is easy in this vegan main that combines snow peas with watercress and mushrooms, brightened even more by ginger and orange juice.
—Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024
California’s water outlook has brightened for now, but salmon and other fish are still in peril.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Fresh strawberries, both inside and out, make the strawberry pie extra summery, and a little sprinkle of lemon zest brightens up each bite.
—Joy Howard, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2024
The show’s centerpiece is a triptych that shifts as usual from red to yellow to blue, but the colors are cascades of drips deepened by blacks and brightened by flashes of white.
—Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'brighten.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near brighten
Cite this Entry
“Brighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brighten. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
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