brighten

Brighten is a verb with senses centered on increasing light or liveliness. The primary sense is to cause something to emit more light or become more illuminated—for example, brightening a room by turning on lamps or by painting walls with lighter colors. It also describes making something easier to see by increasing its luminance or contrast in imaging, such as brightening a photograph in editing software.

A secondary sense is to improve mood or appearance, as in brighten someone’s day or brighten up a person’s expression. In this usage, it is often used reflexively or with up.

Etymology: brighten derives from the adjective bright plus the verbal suffix -en, forming a verb in English. The construction is attested from Middle English onward.

In computing and photography, brightness is a measurable property of an image; tools labeled brightness adjust overall lightness, while exposure, contrast, and gamma can influence perceived brightness. In color terms, bright colors are vivid and high in luminance; increasing brightness in color theory can refer to lightening a hue, though true lightness also depends on perceptual factors. Adding white produces a tint and typically increases perceived brightness, but color saturation and context can modify the effect.

Common phrases include brighten up, brighten one’s day, and brighter tones in design. The concept is widely used across contexts such as interior lighting, photography, graphic design, and everyday language to convey improved illumination or mood.