lighten up
To make or to become less serious and more cheerful or casualTo make (something) or to become less serious and more cheerful or casual; to relax.
» He needs a few jokes to lighten up his talk.
Ему нужно несколько шуток, чтобы оживить его речь.
Meaning
2 senses(idiomatic, intransitive, transitive)To make (something) or to become less serious and more cheerful or casual; to relax.
I wish he'd lighten up a bit and realize that we were only joking.
The mood at work has been tense, so he's looking for ways to lighten it up.
become more cheerful
(transitive)To lighten (something): to decrease its weight.
Near-synonym: slim down
He can't get any more power out of it [his drag racer], so now he's looking for ways to lighten it up.
Examples
16 sentencesHe needs a few jokes to lighten up his talk.
ruЕму нужно несколько шуток, чтобы оживить его речь.
Tom needs to lighten up.
Lighten up, guys.
Come on, Tom, lighten up.
You really need to lighten up.
Translations
1 languagesForms
lightens up, lightening up, lightened up, lightened up| Base form | lighten up · to lighten up |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | lightens up |
| Present participle | lightening up |
| Past simple | lightened up |
| Past participle | lightened up |
irregular
Synonyms
4 synonymsWord family
2 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Phrasal verbs: introduction — Because it is a phrasal verb