Brighten and Illuminate

Brighten

Brighten verb - To become glad or hopeful.

Illuminate is a synonym for brighten in activity topic. In some cases you can use "Illuminate" instead a verb "Brighten", when it comes to topics like become bright, make shine or glow. popular alternative

Illuminate

Illuminate verb - To supply with light.
Usage example: a floor lamp illuminates a living room rather nicely

Brighten is a synonym for illuminate in activity topic. You can use "Brighten" instead a verb "Illuminate", if it concerns topics such as light, light up, make light. popular alternative

Common collocations

place brighten place illuminate place
room brighten room illuminate room
map brighten map illuminate map
past brighten past illuminate past
Cite this Source
Illuminate and Brighten. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/brighten/illuminate
Brighten & Illuminate. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/brighten/illuminate>.
Illuminate or Brighten. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/brighten/illuminate.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "brighten" and "illuminate" have occurred on timeline