Lightening: meaning, definitions and examples

Used in the context of making something lighter in weight, color, or mood. Not to be confused with 'lightning,' which refers to an electrical phenomenon.

• She tried lightening her hair with a new shampoo.
• The new diet has been very successful in lightening his weight.

Used in a technical or scientific context to describe the flow of electricity through a medium, often in a controlled environment like a laboratory or when discussing natural phenomena such as lightning.

• An electrical discharge can occur when high voltage is applied.
• The experiment required careful monitoring of the electrical discharge.

Usually referred to in the context of reducing the heaviness or weight of something, either physically or emotionally.

• The volunteers worked hard at lightening the load of the donations
• Lightening his schedule made a big difference to his stress levels

Typically used when speaking about physical weight loss or making something physically lighter.

• Reducing weight of the equipment made it easier to carry
• He focused on reducing weight through diet and exercise

Commonly used when discussing sharing responsibilities or making tasks less demanding, often to help someone else.

• She helped her colleague by easing the load during the busy season
• To ease the load, the team decided to delegate more tasks