lighten

light·en /ˈlaɪtn/ verb

1 [transitiveT]REDUCE to reduce the amount of work, worry, debt etc that someone has 减轻，减少〔工作量、担忧、债务等〕 OPP increase

lighten the load/burden/workload

We should hire another secretary to lighten Barbara’s workload.

我们应该再招聘一位秘书，减轻芭芭拉的工作量。

2 [intransitiveI, transitiveT]BRIGHT to become brighter or less dark, or to make something brighter etc (使)变亮，(使)明亮 OPP darken

As the sky lightened, we were able to see where we were.

天色渐亮，我们能看清楚身处何地了。

3 [intransitiveI, transitiveT] if you lighten something such as a mood or atmosphere, or if it lightens, it becomes less sad or serious (使)变得轻松

lighten the atmosphere/mood/conversation

Nora didn’t respond to my attempts to lighten the conversation.

我努力让谈话变得轻松一点，可诺拉却没有反应。

4 [intransitiveI]HAPPY if someone’s face or expression lightens, they begin to look more cheerful 〔脸或表情〕变得高兴，露出喜色

His whole face would lighten when anyone mentioned Nancy.

一有人提起南希，他就满脸喜悦。

5. [intransitiveI, transitiveT]LIGHT/NOT HEAVY to reduce the weight of something, or to become less heavy (使)变轻

6 lighten up spoken used to tell someone not to be so serious about something 别那么严肃，放松点

You need to lighten up a bit.

你需要放松一点。

Examples from the Corpus

lighten up• Hey, lighten up! It's only a game, you know!

Examples from the Corpus

lighten• High above them the constant roof of clouds would merely lighten and darken in a long solar axial period of 116.8 days.• Maybe we should hire another secretary to lighten Barbara's workload.• Her Katherine is sparkling, strong and lightening fast.• School administrators are looking at ways to lighten teachers' workloads.• I'm sure you could lighten that suitcase a little if you only packed what you need.• This is the claim that industrialism had lightened the intensity of human productive activity.• As weather conditions got worse, Watts and Peters abandoned their photographic equipment in order to lighten the load.• Only in the Scherzo and in certain passages in the Finale do they begin to lighten the texture sufficiently.• On March 19 it passed a regulatory reform bill, which is intended to lighten the weight of government on small businesses.• Wild knows how to lighten up and he does it with the digital mastery and temperament he has exhibited for many decades.• As the sky lightened, we could see the distant mountains.

lighten the load/burden/workload• So how about a new 12-place setting dishwasher to lighten the load?• We intend to lighten the burden of capital taxes and reform the taxation of savings.• Resist oppression, lighten the burden of the underdog, spread understanding and reason.• Most probably they were thrown into the sea to lighten the load when the ship found itself in difficulties.

lighten the atmosphere/mood/conversation• I smile at her to lighten the atmosphere.• There was no breeze to lighten the atmosphere.• Just trying to lighten the mood a bit.• Meredith didn't respond to his attempt to lighten the conversation but merely sat staring at him thoughtfully.• The little mountains of earth scattered around didn't lighten the atmosphere, either.

light·en verb

Chinese

Syllable

Corpus