heighten
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to increase the degree or amount of; augment.
Cézanne's death heightened the value of his paintings.
-
to strengthen, deepen, or intensify.
to heighten the plot of a story; to heighten one's awareness or appreciation; to heighten one's suffering.
-
to bring out the important features of, as in a drawing.
to heighten a picture with Chinese white.
verb (used without object)
-
to become higher.
-
to increase.
The tension heightened as the enemy forces advanced.
-
to brighten or become more intense.
verb
-
to make or become high or higher
-
to make or become more extreme or intense
Synonym Usage
See elevate.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
heightensimple
-
heightenssimple
-
have heightenedperfect
-
has heightenedperfect
-
am heighteningprogressive
-
are heighteningprogressive
-
is heighteningprogressive
-
have been heighteningperfect progressive
-
has been heighteningperfect progressive
Past
-
heightenedsimple
-
had heightenedperfect
-
was heighteningprogressive
-
were heighteningprogressive
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Part 3 Vocabulary II (Unit 1)
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Watching New Love as It Sears the Brain," Vocabulary from the article
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Still, the central bank’s view that underlying consumer inflation may exceed its 2% price stability target suggests a potential acceleration in the pace of rate hikes if such risks heighten, he adds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
Now, however, the counterterrorism director’s role is coming back to light as hostilities roil the Middle East and heighten the risk of attacks in the United States or against American interests or allies overseas.
From Salon ● Apr. 22, 2026
It sowed the seed for the idea of a wobble board which could heighten core strength through muscle movement, training the body to learn healthy patterns which promote overall stability.
From BBC ● Apr. 14, 2026
The scale of the alleged activity—which the Justice Department says involved $2.5 billion worth of servers since 2024—could heighten the perceived risk to the company, the analysts add.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 20, 2026
While I was more than willing to give testimonials for my comrades, I did not want to take any action that would heighten the bitterness between the ANC, the PAC, and the BCM.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Experts say cases of invasive meningococcal disease tend to peak in October to November each year, which further heightens the risk for new university students.
From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026
As the severity of Nikki’s obsession heightens, we get a few brief glimpses of the real Nikki, stuck somewhere inside her own consciousness.
From Salon ● Jun. 4, 2026
The effect heightens the romanticism of characters who are no longer lost to us in translation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 11, 2026
Arctic sea ice is headed for one of its smallest winter peaks on record, an AFP review of US data showed Wednesday, as climate change shrinks the region's frozen cover and heightens geopolitical tensions.
From Barron's ● Mar. 11, 2026
Or had you, NATURE’S error, come Abortive from the mother’s womb, Your forming care she still rejects, Which only heightens her defects.
From Moores Fables for the Female Sex by Moore, Edward Caldwell
The index has risen 58 percent so far this year but the rally has also been marked by heightened volatility.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
By preventing immune cells from keeping the brain's engine in a heightened state, the team hopes to restore healthy sleep and improve quality of life years before noticeable memory loss develops.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026
Supporters faced long queues to get into New York New Jersey Stadium amid heightened security for the 2026 World Cup final.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
Investors will keep a close eye on events in the Middle East to see whether heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran persist or whether they begin to ease.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Pro-French sympathies were further heightened in July by the sudden influx of 2,100 French refugees, who were fleeing a fierce slave rebellion in Santo Domingo.
From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy
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
Mr. Spielberg was once the master of heightening action with flourishes of humor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
She’s a ghostly presence, the gracefulness heightening the somber emotions of the night.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
Conflicts in the Middle East are increasing dangers for whales off South Africa by shifting sea traffic into their habitats and heightening the risks of collision, researchers told AFP.
From Barron's ● May 11, 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.
