Nearby Words

brighten

[brahyt-n] Origin

bright·en

[brahyt-n]
verb (used without object), verb (used with object)
to become or make bright or brighter.

Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English brightnen. See bright, -en1

re·bright·en, verb
un·bright·ened, adjective


lighten; cheer, gladden, lift, hearten, perk up.


darken; deject, sadden.

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Brighten is one of our favorite verbs.
So is skedaddle. Does it mean:
to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable.
to run away hurriedly; flee.
Collins
World English Dictionary
brighten (ˈbraɪtən)
 
vb
1.  to make or become bright or brighter
2.  to make or become cheerful
 
'brightener
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

brighten
O.E. *beorhtnian "to make bright" (see bright). Intrans. sense, "to become brighter," attested from c.1300. Figurative use from 1590s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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