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to lighten up
01
to make a space or environment become brighter and less gloomy, by adding more light sources or using lighter colors and materials
Grammatical Information
Composition
phrasal
Action verb
Regular
Separable
Particle
up
Base verb
lighten
Present tense
lighten up
3rd person singular
lightens up
Present participle
lightening up
Past simple
lightened up
Past participle
lightened up
Examples
Painting the walls a lighter color will lighten up the room and make it feel more spacious.
02
to become brighter and less gloomy
Examples
The sky is lightening up as the sun begins to rise over the horizon.
03
to relax and take things less seriously
Examples
Take a deep breath and lighten up – you're worrying too much.
04
to help someone feel more cheerful and less stressed
Examples
She cracked a joke to lighten up the mood and ease the tension.
