easy
The lamp helped brighten the room.
What does Brighten mean?
Brighten means to make brighter or more cheerful.
Dictionary definition
To make or become brighter, happier, or more cheerful.
Example sentences
Brighten in a sentence
medium
A kind note can brighten someone's day.
hard
The artist used yellow paint to brighten the dark corner of the picture.
Writing practice
Ready to write your own? Study the examples, then practice brighten in a sentence with Sentence Builder checklist feedback.
Quick practice
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Practice the meaning of Brighten
Answer three quick questions about its meaning and related words.
Question 1 of 3
Practice 1
What does brighten mean?
Brighten means to make something brighter, happier, or more cheerful.
Practice 2
Which word is closest to brighten when talking about light?
Lighten can mean to make something brighter.
Practice 3
Which word is an antonym of brighten?
Darken means to make or become darker, which contrasts with brighten.
Practice complete
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You completed 3 questions.
Pronunciation coach
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Brighten
Voice settings
Sounds like
bry · tun · strongest beat: bry
Tap each sound part, then blend the whole word together.
Learn
WordBrighten.
Partverb.
MeaningBrighten means to make brighter or more cheerful.
ExampleExample: The lamp helped brighten the room.
Word breakdown
2 syllables. Say each part, then blend the word.
- Syllables
- bry · tun
- Strongest beat
- bry
- Ending
- tun
- Tip
- Put a little extra energy on bry.
Your turn
Say Brighten
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Nice work—you practiced brighten.
Synonyms
Words like Brighten
Antonyms
Opposite words
darkenUse when something becomes darker.
dullUse when something becomes less bright or lively.
Synonym practice
Want to practice brighten synonyms in context? Try a Synonym Search question like "The lamp helped brighten the reading corner," then compare close word choices. Practice brighten synonyms.
Word family
Brighten word family
Base word
bright
verb
brighten
To make brighter or more cheerful.
verb
brightened
Made brighter or more cheerful in the past.
verb
brightening
Making brighter or more cheerful.
Related words
Explore related words
Student support
Understand Brighten
Hint for students
Brighten means to make brighter or more cheerful.
Common mix-up
Do not use brighten just because it sounds familiar. Make sure the sentence matches this meaning: Brighten means to make brighter or more cheerful.
Try it in class or at home
Read this model sentence: A kind note can brighten someone's day. Clue words: kind, note, someone's. Underline clue words that show why brighten fits instead of darken. Now write one new sentence that shows brighten without using the word brighten. Ask: Does my sentence clearly show brighten?
Teacher prompt
Ask students to explain this model sentence: "A kind note can brighten someone's day." Why does brighten fit better than darken?
Learning activities
Practice Brighten and explore more word games
Cards labelled “Practice BRIGHTEN” keep this word in focus. Explore cards open games with other words.
Practice BRIGHTEN
Sentence Builder
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Write a sentence with BRIGHTEN
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Spell Hive
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Vocabulary Match
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Match meanings
Explore · Context
Context Clue Challenge
Use sentence clues to choose the word that fits the meaning.
Use context clues
Practice BRIGHTEN
Synonym Search
Compare meanings in a question that includes BRIGHTEN.
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Explore · Scramble
Scrambled Bees
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