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:
A dry winter will make the current drought worse and heighten government concerns.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
"On the new journey ahead, we must heighten our sense of vigilance against potential dangers," he said during Monday's event.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Reinvigorating free markets requires a broad effort to heighten economic competition.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Exports surged 23.9% in the 12 months from July 2025, but that will only heighten concerns about “China Shock 2.0” that have economies all over the world contemplating draconian restrictions on Chinese trade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
That the absence of children, all children, would heighten the adults’ remorse.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
"Every incident that happens is getting in the media and on social media and that heightens awareness of everything that's going on and feeds into people not feeling safe in their homes," he added.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
Feeding wild birds heightens the risk of disease transmission at feeding locations.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026
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
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
My obligations to Sir Henry, on your account, my Ellenor," said the Captain, "I can never sufficiently acknowledge; indeed every action or account but heightens my admiration and regard.
From The Mysterious Wanderer, Vol. III A Novel in Three Volumes by Sophia Reeve
Safety concerns around technology have also heightened as companies double down on advancing artificial intelligence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
But it inched up again in its September reading due to heightened fears about market volatility, outliving savings, housing and cognitive decline.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026
The strike came amid heightened tensions between the SBU and Ukraine's GUR, a military intelligence agency.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
Investor concerns about potential intervention may also be heightened given the Labor Day holiday in the U.S. on Monday, when foreign-exchange intervention could have an outsized impact given thin trading volumes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
This unreal feeling was heightened when, after half an hour, she reached another High Street, more or less the same as the one she had left behind.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
The gap between U.S. and Japan interest rates had been contributing to the yen’s recent weakness, heightening its appeal for the so-called carry trade, in which traders use low-yielding currencies to invest in higher-yielding assets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026
While the exact cause of the glacial collapse is unclear, climate change is causing glaciers to melt worldwide, heightening the risk of such disasters.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
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
Great for heightening drama, terrible for addressing the country's immediate difficulties.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!
From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry
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.
