heighten
Americanverb (used with object)
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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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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
Related Words
See elevate.
Other Word Forms
- heightened adjective
- heightener noun
- unheightened adjective
Etymology
Origin of heighten
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 bond market appears unworried about the next decade, even as tariff’s enactment and now reversal heightens global trade uncertainty.
From Barron's
Recent headlines regarding this change “have heightened concerns about forced selling and potential spillover effects,” UBS analyst Matthew Mish remarked on Monday.
From Barron's
The price of gold was rising to start the week as heightened uncertainty about U.S. trade policy boosted the appeal of havens.
From Barron's
The bank also suggests that the U.S. court ruling striking down tariffs will heighten market uncertainty.
That being said, Abdy admits that when her brother asked her if the series was what her life was really like, she replied, “Eh, it’s heightened. But yes.”
From Los Angeles Times
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.
