| Main Entry: | brighten |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make shine or glow |
Synonyms: |
buff up, burnish, clear up, enliven, gleam, grow sunny, illuminate, illumine, intensify, kindle, light up, lighten, polish, punch up, spiff up |
Antonyms: |
darken, deepen, dull, fade |
| Main Entry: | fortify |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make strong and secure; add to |
Synonyms: |
brace, build up, bulwark, buttress, charge up, consolidate, embattle, entrench, garrison, gird, prepare, prop, protect, punch up, ready, reinforce, secure, shore up, soup up, steel*, step up, strengthen, support |
Antonyms: |
decrease, hurt, injure, weaken |
| Main Entry: | fortify |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | encourage, reassure |
Synonyms: |
arouse, brace, buck up, build up, cheer, confirm, embolden, energize, enliven, hearten, invigorate, pour it on, punch up, rally, refresh, reinforce, renew, restore, rouse, stiffen, stir, strengthen, sustain |
Antonyms: |
discourage, dissuade, weaken |
| Main Entry: | reinforce |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | strengthen, augment |
Synonyms: |
add fuel to fire, add to, back up, beef up, bolster, boost, build up, buttress, carry, emphasize, energize, enlarge, fortify, harden, heat up, hype, increase, lend a hand, multiply, pick up, pillar, prop, prop up, punch up, shore up, soup up, stand up for, stiffen, stress, stroke, supplement, support, sustain, toughen, underline |
Antonyms: |
subtract, take away, undermine, weaken |
| Main Entry: | supplement |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | add to |
Synonyms: |
add fuel to fire, augment, beef up, build up, buttress, complement, complete, enhance, enrich, extend, fill out, fill up, fortify, heat up, improve, increase, jazz up, pad, punch up, reinforce, step up, strengthen, subsidize, supply, top |
| Notes: | augment means to add more of the same thing; supplement means to add something, usually to make up for a deficiency complement means an addition will serve to complete something or form with it to make a whole while a supplement is an addition to something already regarded as complete or whole; complement can also mean 'the full quantity, number, or amount' |
Antonyms: |
subtract |