heighten
Americanverb (used with object)
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heightens,
present (3rd person singular)
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heightened,
past participle, past
-
heightening
present participle
-
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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heightens,
present (3rd person singular)
-
heightened,
past participle, past
-
heightening
present participle
-
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
Synonym Usage
See elevate.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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heightensimple
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heightenssimple
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have heightenedperfect
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has heightenedperfect
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am heighteningprogressive
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are heighteningprogressive
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is heighteningprogressive
-
have been heighteningperfect progressive
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has been heighteningperfect progressive
Past
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heightenedsimple
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had heightenedperfect
-
was heighteningprogressive
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were heighteningprogressive
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had been heighteningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of heighten
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."
Vocabulary lists containing heighten
And Then There Were None
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Part 3 Vocabulary II (Unit 1)
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"Watching New Love as It Sears the Brain," Vocabulary from the article
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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.
See Examples For:
Psychologically, mirrors heighten self-awareness, and thus prompt people to behave better overall, more in line with ideals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
Bank of Canada Gov. Tiff Macklem warned that widening global imbalances and nonbank lenders heighten economic disruption risks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
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
"Even without a new product launch today, Huawei's intent is clear — and its trajectory will likely heighten US concerns."
From Barron's ● May 25, 2026
The elongated forms, eerie moonlight, and expressive colors—all hallmarks of El Greco’s style—help to heighten our sense of identification with Christ’s suffering.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
The risk of smashups heightens the excitement at more than a dozen docking events around the bay, which can pull in several thousand spectators.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
"People are realising constant swiping isn't actually leading to real-world dates, which only heightens dating fatigue," said Ryan.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Coverage of the 1986 World Series doesn’t mention Boston’s 68-year stretch without a title, which heightens the devastation of their Game 6 loss to the New York Mets.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
As he moves through Davidson’s life, Jones gradually heightens Davidson’s visible exhaustion, trying to manage a condition that no one in his orbit understands.
From Salon ● Apr. 26, 2026
In floods the ground inundated on either side of a stream intercepts some part of the detritus, which is then spread over the flood-plain and gradually heightens it.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 6 "Geodesy" to "Geometry" by Various
Telekom Malaysia could benefit from stronger investor demand for defensive stocks amid heightened global macroeconomic and local political uncertainties, given its resilient earnings profile, he says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
But like it or not, he must learn to reckon with the heightened expectations and speculation that comes with simply being good at his current job.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026
However, maintaining that heightened state of readiness may also increase the chance of immune "friendly fire," in which the body mistakenly attacks its own healthy tissues and triggers autoimmune disease.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026
Moskow noted that the pressure on Hidden Valley Ranch sales comes after the brand had benefited from heightened consumer interest during the World Cup earlier this summer, when international fans became enamored with ranch flavoring.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
It came with illusions that befuddled the mind and heightened the senses.
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
And I’m sure the threat of being sued by your current employer is just heightening any anxiety you already have around the job-hunting process.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
The outbreak is still not under control and is taking place in a conflict zone with very mobile populations – heightening the need for a vaccine to help stop the spread of disease.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
But the Middle East conflict has strained shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for supplies, heightening unease among farmers ahead of the July-October sowing period.
From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026
She’s a ghostly presence, the gracefulness heightening the somber emotions of the night.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
Was he not heightening the horror of his own end by straining after a flickering hope?
From "Native Son" by Richard Wright
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.
