Brightened

Brightened is the past tense and past participle of brighten, a verb with both literal and figurative meanings. Literally, to brighten something is to make it more luminous or to become more illuminated. Figuratively, it can mean to make or become more cheerful or hopeful.

Etymology and form: The verb brighten is formed from the adjective bright, which derives from Old English beorht. The suffix -en is used in English to create verbs meaning “to cause to become,” so brighten and its past tense brightened have been part of the language since Middle English. The word is regularly conjugated: brightens, brightening, brightened.

Common contexts: In everyday language, brightness can refer to physical illumination, as in a room that has been brightened by a lamp or sunlight. The term also appears in expressions about mood or outlook, such as a situation that brightens someone’s day. In photography and image editing, to brighten an image means to increase lightness or exposure, and brightened images are those that have had their highlights lifted. In astronomy or meteorology, a star, the sky, or a composite scene may be described as brightened when its light output or perceived brightness increases.

Examples: The new windows brightened the upstairs hallway. The cheerful news brightened her mood. After editing, the photograph was brightened to reveal more detail in the shadows.

See also: brighten, brightness.