heighten
English edit
Etymology edit
From Middle English heightenen, hyghtenen, equivalent to height + -en (verbal suffix).
Pronunciation edit
- IPA(key): /ˈhaɪ̯.tən/, [ˈhaɪ̯tn̩], [ˈhaɪ̯ʔn̩]
Audio (Southern England) (file) - Rhymes: -aɪtən
- Homophone: Huyton
Verb edit
heighten (third-person singular simple present heightens, present participle heightening, simple past and past participle heightened)
- To make high; to raise higher; to elevate.
- 2021 June 2, “Network News: Cambrian Line bridge is raised”, in RAIL, number 932, page 23:
- Black Bridge, near Machynlleth, is being heightened by one metre in a £3.6 million project to reduce delays caused by flooding.
- To advance, increase, augment, make larger, more intense, stronger etc.
- to heighten beauty
- to heighten a flavor or a tint
- to heighten awareness
- to heighten tension
- the excitement heightened
- “That’s heightened by the impact of climate change,” she added.
- 2006 December 6, Ashley Seager, “Employment rise gives chancellor a boost”, in The Guardian[1]:
- If Mr Brown chooses, he could raise his estimate of the economy's "trend" rate of growth in the coming years and so heighten his hopes of tax revenues.
Antonyms edit
Translations edit
to make higher
|
to augment, aggravate, intensify
|