lighten /ˈlaɪ.t ə n/ /-t ̬ ə n/ verb MAKE BRIGHT
1. [ I ] to become less dark
The sky had lightened and there were breaks in the clouds. Opposite darken
lighten /ˈlaɪ.t ə n/ /-t ̬ ə n/ verb MAKE LESS HEAVY
2. lighten sb's burden/load, etc.
to make a difficult situation or responsibility easier
Getting a new assistant will lighten (= reduce) the workload considerably.
lightening : drop in the level of tthe womb during the last weeks of pregnancy as the head of the fetus engage sin the pelvis
oxford dictionary
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