heighten

[hahyt-n]

verb (used with object)

1. to increase the height of; make higher.

2. to increase the degree or amount of; augment.

   Cézanne's death heightened the value of his paintings.

3. to strengthen, deepen, or intensify.

   to heighten the plot of a story; to heighten one's awareness or appreciation; to heighten one's suffering.

4. to bring out the important features of, as in a drawing.

   to heighten a picture with Chinese white.

verb (used without object)

1. to become higher.

2. to increase.

   The tension heightened as the enemy forces advanced.

3. to brighten or become more intense.

heighten

/ ˈhaɪtən /

verb

1. to make or become high or higher

2. to make or become more extreme or intense

Other Word Forms

• heightener noun
• unheightened adjective
• heightened adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of heighten¹

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

Synonym Study

See elevate.

Example Sentences

Everything in “Zola” is heightened to mimic the extremity and shallowness of social media.

Read more on Salon

While federal monitoring is routine, it has been viewed with heightened skepticism from both parties in recent years.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Adding to the heightened uncertainties about both the near-term outlook and the longer-term potential of the economy is the fact that data availability has been limited by the ongoing government shutdown.

Read more on MarketWatch

Yet the narrative is easy to follow despite the creative chronology, which heightens tension to a near-breaking point.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Recent drone incursions and cyberattacks deep inside Europe with known or suspected Russian links have heightened concerns.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• add to www.thesaurus.com
• boost 
• enhance 
• improve 
• increase 
• magnify 
• raise 
• strengthen