Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

brighten

 verb
     
bright‧en
1

make lighter

[transitive] also brighten something ↔ up to make something lighter or brighter:
Use blonde highlights to brighten your hair.
The morning sunshine brightened up the room.
2

make more attractive

[transitive] also brighten something ↔ up to make something more colourful or attractive:
She bought some flowers to brighten the room.
I want to brighten the place up a bit.
3

make more enjoyable

[transitive] also brighten something ↔ up to make something more enjoyable, exciting or interesting:
His letter brightened my day.
I felt I needed something to brighten up my life.
4

become lighter/brighter

[intransitive] to shine more strongly, or become brighter in colour:
The stage lights brightened to reveal a street scene.
5

become sunny

[intransitive] also brighten up if the weather brightens, the sun begins to shine and it becomes lighter:
The sky brightened after lunch.
Let's hope the weather brightens up later.
It brightened up a bit in the afternoon.
6

become happy

[intransitive] also brighten up to become happier or more excited:
His eyes brightened when we started talking about money.
She brightened up a bit when she saw us.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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