Lighten
Webster's Dictionary [1]
(1): ( v. t.) To make light or clear; to light; to illuminate; as, to lighten an apartment with lamps or gas; to lighten the streets.
(2): ( v. t.) To emit or disclose in, or as in, lightning; to flash out, like lightning.
(3): ( v. t.) To cheer; to exhilarate.
(4): ( v. t.) To make less burdensome or afflictive; to alleviate; as, to lighten the cares of life or the burden of grief.
(5): ( v. t.) To make lighter, or less heavy; to reduce in weight; to relieve of part of a load or burden; as, to lighten a ship by unloading; to lighten a load or burden.
(6): ( v. t.) To free from trouble and fill with joy.
(7): ( v. i.) To descend; to light.
(8): ( v. t.) To illuminate with knowledge; to enlighten.
(9): ( v. i.) To grow lighter; to become less dark or lowering; to brighten; to clear, as the sky.
(10): ( v. i.) To burst forth or dart, as lightning; to shine with, or like, lightning; to display a flash or flashes of lightning; to flash.
King James Dictionary [2]
Lighten, from light, the fluid.
1. To flash to burst forth or dart, as lightning to shine with an instantaneous illumination.
This dreadful night that thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars as doth the lion.
2. To shine like lightning. 3. To fall to light. Obs.
1. To dissipate darkness to fill with light to spread over with light to illuminate to enlighten as, to lighten an apartment with lamps or gas to lighten the streets.
A key of fire ran all along the shore, and lightened all the river with a blaze.
2. To illuminate with knowledge in a moral sense.
A light to lighten the Gentiles. Luke 2 .
3. To free from trouble and fill with joy.
They looked to him and were lightened. Psalms 34 .
Lighten, from light, not heavy.
1. To make lighter to reduce in weight to make less heavy as, to lighten a ship by unloading to lighten a load or burden. 2. To alleviate to make less burdensome or afflictive as, to lighten the cares of life to lighten the burden of grief. 3. To cheer to exhilarate.
He lightens my humor with his merry jest.
