heighten
Americanverb (used with object)
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to increase the degree or amount of; augment.
Cézanne's death heightened the value of his paintings.
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to strengthen, deepen, or intensify.
to heighten the plot of a story; to heighten one's awareness or appreciation; to heighten one's suffering.
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to bring out the important features of, as in a drawing.
to heighten a picture with Chinese white.
verb (used without object)
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to become higher.
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to increase.
The tension heightened as the enemy forces advanced.
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to brighten or become more intense.
verb
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to make or become high or higher
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to make or become more extreme or intense
Related Words
See elevate.
Other Word Forms
- heightened adjective
- heightener noun
- unheightened adjective
Etymology
Origin of heighten
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The light on Mag is framed like a melodramatic diva’s spotlight, and the close-ups of Delano’s electric purple lip gloss and severe makeup heighten the sequence’s sense of surrealism.
From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026
Any signs of cooling inflation would also heighten prospects of a cut.
From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026
Booker and Van Hollen’s bills could heighten that disparity, said Garrett Watson, director of policy analysis at the think tank.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 12, 2026
Oil jumped in the early morning Asian session as military strikes by the U.S. and Israel against Iran heighten supply disruption concerns.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026
But written words heighten the feeling of privacy.
From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.