Bleached: meaning, definitions and examples

Use this word when discussing items that have been lightened, often by chemical means. It commonly applies to hair, paper, fabric, or bones.

• She bleached her hair to get a platinum blonde color
• The bones on the beach had been bleached white by the sun

This word is typically used when making something less dark in color or weight. It can also mean making a situation less serious or more cheerful.

• She decided to lighten the room by painting the walls a lighter color
• His jokes helped lighten the mood during the meeting

Generally, this word is used when something is being made white, either through cleaning or other means. It can also refer to teeth, fabrics, or surfaces.

• She used special toothpaste to whiten her teeth
• The snow began to whiten the landscape

This word is mostly used in cooking and gardening. It refers to briefly boiling vegetables or other food to soften them or remove their skins. It can also describe making plants white or pale by excluding light.

• Blanch the tomatoes to peel them easily
• The endive was blanched to reduce its bitterness

Used when something has been exposed to bleaching agents or sunlight, often involving a chemical process, leaving it much lighter or even white.

• Her jeans looked almost white because they were bleached by the sun
• The bathroom tiles were bleached to remove stains

Employed when something has been made whiter through a cleaning or bleaching process, often used for teeth, laundry, or other surfaces.

• She whitened her teeth for the wedding
• The shirts were whitened using a strong detergent

Applies to objects or substances that have been made lighter in color, usually deliberately through various means.

• She lightened her hair before the summer
• The wall paint was lightened to make the room look more spacious

Describes a naturally light color, often referring to skin tone, or a lack of color that can indicate illness or fear.

• She turned pale at the news
• His skin was naturally pale and delicate

This is the past tense or past participle form of 'bleach,' used to describe something that has been made white or lighter in color, either by the sun, chemicals, or other means.

• Her hair appeared bleached after spending the summer at the beach
• The old photographs were completely bleached from years of sunlight

Commonly used to describe the removal of written or recorded information, such as pencil marks, ink, or digital data. It can also be applied metaphorically to mean making something disappear or be forgotten.

• She used an eraser to erase the pencil marks from her notebook
• The software allows you to erase old files from your computer

A general term that can be applied in many contexts involving taking something away from a place, position, or context. It can be physical, like removing stains or objects, or metaphorical, like removing obstacles or problems.

• Please remove your shoes before entering the house
• They worked together to remove the barriers blocking the road

This word is more formal and often used to describe the act of wiping out, erasing, or making something disappear entirely, usually in a more abstract sense.

• Time has not effaced the memory of their first meeting
• The artist wanted to efface all evidence of his mistakes