Synonyms

heighten

American

[hahyt-n] / ˈhaɪt n /

verb (used with object)

to increase the height of; make higher.
to increase the degree or amount of; augment.

Cézanne's death heightened the value of his paintings.
to strengthen, deepen, or intensify.

to heighten the plot of a story; to heighten one's awareness or appreciation; to heighten one's suffering.
to bring out the important features of, as in a drawing.

to heighten a picture with Chinese white.

verb (used without object)

to become higher.
to increase.

The tension heightened as the enemy forces advanced.
to brighten or become more intense.

heighten British

/ ˈhaɪtən /

verb

to make or become high or higher
to make or become more extreme or intense

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See elevate.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of heighten

First recorded in 1515–25; height + -en ¹

Explanation

When you heighten something, you increase it or make it more intense. If you want to heighten awareness about homelessness, you might write an article for your local newspaper. Extreme weather can act to heighten people's concern about climate change, and publicity for a good cause can heighten awareness of the ways college students can volunteer their time. A movie director might heighten the tension in a scene by using scary music and dramatic lighting. In all of these cases, something is intensified or increased. The oldest, fifteenth-century meaning of heighten, however, was "to exalt, honor, or raise to a high position."

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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.

Adam Wharton's man-of-the-match performance in the final will only serve to heighten the feeling the midfielder is destined to join an elite club.

From BBC • May 28, 2026

Now, however, the counterterrorism director’s role is coming back to light as hostilities roil the Middle East and heighten the risk of attacks in the United States or against American interests or allies overseas.

From Salon • Apr. 22, 2026

Inflationary pressures in Japan could heighten as flight-to-safety demand for the dollar pushes the yen toward 160, the threshold that puts traders on guard for potential government intervention.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

Any signs of cooling inflation would also heighten prospects of a cut.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

Dead, his bones would have served to heighten Grisha power, no different from the shark teeth or bear claws that other Grisha wore.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023