| Main Entry: | lighten |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | illuminate |
Synonyms: |
become light, brighten, flash, gleam, illume, irradiate, light, light up, make bright, shine |
Antonyms: |
blacken, darken, dim, dull |
| Main Entry: | lighten |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | reduce weight, load |
Synonyms: |
allay, alleviate, ameliorate, assuage, attenuate, buoy, change, comfort, cut down, decrease, dilute, disburden, disencumber, ease, empty, eradicate, extenuate, facilitate, free, jettison, lessen, levitate, make less, make lighter, mitigate, mollify, pour out, put off, reduce, relieve, remove, shift, take, take a load off, thin, throw out, unburden, unload, uplight, upraise |
Antonyms: |
burden, weigh down |
| Main Entry: | lighten |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | cheer up; inspire |
Synonyms: |
brighten, buoy up, cheer, elate, encourage, gladden, hearten, lift, perk up, revive, take a load off |
Antonyms: |
bring down, burden, depress, upset |
| Main Entry: | aid |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | help, support |
Synonyms: |
abet, alleviate, assist, bail out, befriend, benefact, encourage, favor, go to bat for, go with, lend a hand, lighten, mitigate, open doors for, promote, relieve, serve, stick up for, straighten out, subsidize, sustain |
| Notes: | aid is assistance or a source of assistance; aide is an assistant |
Antonyms: |
block, hinder, hurt, impede, injure, obstruct |
| Main Entry: | allay |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | reduce something, usually a pain or a problem |
Synonyms: |
abate, alleviate, assuage, calm, compose, cool out, decrease, ease, lessen, lighten, make nice, mitigate, moderate, mollify, pacify, play up to, pour oil on, quiet, square, take the bite out, take the sting out |
Antonyms: |
intensify, provoke, stir, worsen |
| Main Entry: | alleviate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | relieve; lessen |
Synonyms: |
allay, assuage, ease, lighten, mitigate, mollify, pacify, pour oil on, soft-pedal, take the bite out, take the edge off, take the sting out |
Antonyms: |
aggravate, heighten, increase, intensify, magnify |
| Main Entry: | ameliorate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make, become better |
Synonyms: |
alleviate, amend, help, improve, lighten, meliorate, mitigate, relieve, step up, upgrade |
Antonyms: |
worsen |
| Main Entry: | assuage |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | soothe, relieve |
Synonyms: |
allay, alleviate, appease, calm, compose, conciliate, cool*, ease, fill, lessen, lighten, lull, make nice, mitigate, moderate, mollify, pacify, palliate, placate, pour oil on, propitiate, quench, quiet, sate, satisfy, soften, still, surfeit, sweeten, take the edge off, take the sting out, temper, tranquilize |
Antonyms: |
exacerbate, upset |
| Main Entry: | bleach |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | whiten |
Synonyms: |
achromatize, blanch, blench, decolor, decolorize, etiolate, fade, grow pale, lighten, make pale, peroxide, wash out |
Antonyms: |
blacken, darken, yellow |
| Main Entry: | break |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | cushion something's effect |
Synonyms: |
diminish, lessen, lighten, moderate, reduce, soften, weaken |