brighten
brighten — 動詞
1. when the weather or sky brightens, it grows lighter as dark clouds begin to brea
放晴
天色變亮、雲開始散開
when the weather or sky brightens, it grows lighter as dark clouds begin to break.
By noon, the sky brightened and children ran back to the playground.
到了中午，天空放晴了，孩子們又跑回操場。
intransitive: weather becomes sunnier
After breakfast, the weather brightened over Kaohsiung and the sea turned blue.
吃完早餐後，高雄上空的天氣放晴了，海也轉藍了。
The morning brightened slowly, but rain still hung over the hills.
早晨慢慢放晴了，但雨氣仍罩在山頭上。
Once the wind changed, the gray afternoon brightened within an hour.
風向一變，那個灰暗的下午不到一小時就放晴了。
- darken
means become less bright as light fades or clouds gather
- cloud over
specifically means become covered with cloud
文法句型
the weather brightens
the sky brightens
用法筆記
Subject is usually weather, sky, morning, or day, and there is no direct object. Distinguish from sense 2, where a room, color, or object becomes brighter in appearance.
2. to give a room, object, or color more light or a livelier look, or to take on th
照亮；增色
讓空間或顏色更明亮好看
to give a room, object, or color more light or a livelier look, or to take on that brighter look.
White curtains brightened the narrow bedroom beside the station.
白色窗簾讓車站旁那間狹小的臥室亮了起來。
brighten + room or space
A bowl of oranges brightened the kitchen table.
一碗柳丁替廚房餐桌增添了亮色。
New paint brightened the cafe, especially near the front window.
新油漆讓那家咖啡館更明亮，尤其是前窗附近。
As the sun moved west, the hallway brightened for a few minutes.
太陽往西移時，走廊亮了一陣子。
The blue scarf brightened her black coat at once.
那條藍色圍巾一下子就替她的黑外套增色不少。
- lighten
is broader and may only mean make less dark, without adding color or charm
- illuminate
is more formal and usually stresses supplying actual light
- enhance
means improve appearance in a general way, not specifically by light or color
- freshen
often suggests making something look newer or cleaner
文法句型
brighten a room
brighten something with color
a room brightens in the sun
用法筆記
Object is often a room, wall, photo, corner, or item of clothing. Distinguish from sense 4: this sense is about visual effect, even when the result also feels more pleasant.
常見錯誤
3. to look, sound, or feel more cheerful and hopeful than before.
開朗起來
神情、語氣或心情變得較開朗
to look, sound, or feel more cheerful and hopeful than before.
Leila brightened when the nurse said her father could go home.
Leila 一聽到護士說父親可以回家了，整個人就振作起來了。
brighten when + good news
At the word holiday, the twins brightened at once.
一聽到 holiday 這個字，那對雙胞胎立刻振作起來。
Ravi's face brightened as the bus finally reached the village.
公車終於到村子時，Ravi 的神情亮了起來。
Even the old dog brightened after hearing the snack bag.
就連那隻老狗一聽見零食袋的聲音，也振作了起來。
Mira's voice brightened during the call from Tokyo.
接聽那通從 Tokyo 打來的電話時，Mira 的語氣變得開朗起來。
文法句型
someone brightens
someone brightens when ...
someone's face brightens
用法筆記
The subject is the person, face, eyes, or voice that shows the change. Distinguish from sense 4, where something causes that more hopeful feeling in another person or situation.
常見錯誤
4. to make a person, a period of time, or a situation feel more hopeful or pleasant
鼓舞；提振
使人或情況更有希望、更愉快
to make a person, a period of time, or a situation feel more hopeful or pleasant.
The baby's laugh brightened everyone at the long clinic meeting.
寶寶的笑聲讓大家在那場冗長的門診會議裡都打起精神來。
brighten + person or group
A short text from Omar brightened Hana's whole morning.
Omar 傳來的一則簡訊，提振了 Hana 整個早上的心情。
collocation: brighten someone's day or morning
The music brightened the bus ride home after the loss.
那段音樂讓失利後搭公車回家的那段路輕鬆了一些。
Good news from the lab brightened a difficult week for the family.
化驗室傳來的好消息，提振了這家人艱難的一週。
The teacher's joke brightened the class before the exam.
老師的一句玩笑話，在考試前鼓舞了全班。
文法句型
brighten someone's day
brighten a mood
brighten a difficult time
用法筆記
Object is often a person, a group, or a time expression such as day, morning, week, or mood. Distinguish from sense 2, where the result is mainly visual rather than emotional.