heighten
verb (used with object)
had heightened
-
past perfectof heighten.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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 ease of moving capital had heightened pressure on governments to think more competitively in choosing their policies, most notably tax rates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
The singer himself then got involved, posting on blogging platform Substack about how the video had heightened his insecurities and pushed him towards considering cosmetic surgery.
From BBC ● Jan. 24, 2026
Maybe one had heightened adrenaline from a close call with another car on the drive over; maybe another was in a new relationship and awash in oxytocin, the so-called love hormone.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2023
Police in Vienna tweeted that they had heightened security in front of certain buildings and increased the presence of officers in the Austrian capital.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 15, 2023
My sense of reality had heightened and every inch of my body was alive with incomparable sensations.
From Through these Eyes The courageous struggle to find meaning in a life stressed with cancer by Lauren Ann Isaacson
