lighten up

VERB

relent

Synonyms

STRONGEST

acquiesce capitulate cave in come around comply ease off give in give up let go quit relax slacken soften subside

STRONG

drop ease ebb fall fold forbear melt moderate slow wane weaken yield

WEAK

be merciful change one's mind cool it cry uncle die away ease up on give quarter give some slack give way go along with go easy on have mercy have pity lay back let it happen mellow out say uncle show mercy

Antonyms

STRONGEST

grow increase worry

STRONG

advance ascend continue free rise

WEAK

build

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.

So I started to live by this, I started to lighten up.”

From MarketWatch

But Owen had been so busy clowning around to get George to lighten up that he’d forgotten to grab the shotgun from the snowmobile.

From Literature

I felt as if I were gazing into the future: Aunt Kitty looked like a cranky old matron, which was exactly what she was headed for if she didn’t start to lighten up.

From Literature

Or did the embrace of “Rocky” and “Jaws” mean that audiences wanted their movies to lighten up?

From The Wall Street Journal

“What’s the alternative?” the ad asks, “lightening up and being fun?”

From Los Angeles Times

lighten up

Example Sentences

Related Words