lighten (one's) load
To help make something less difficult, upsetting, or overwhelming for one. Thankfully my wife's family will be there when we move to help lighten our load a bit. I'm so sorry for your loss, Jen. If there's anything we can do to lighten your load, please don't hesitate to ask.
lighten (one's) purse
1. To steal money from one. This seedy part of town is crawling with pickpockets—plenty of people ready to lighten your purse.
2. To spend money or cause one to spend money, especially excessively or wastefully. Aunt Edna, please don't lighten your purse buying things for the kids. They have enough toys and clothes as it is. The gift shop certainly lightened our purses. Why did we buy so much crap we don't need?
lighten (one's) wallet
1. To spend a large amount of money. (When speaking of one's own actions.) My sister loves to shop. She's always out looking for new ways to lighten her wallet.
2. To take money from someone; to cause someone to spend a significant amount of money. (When speaking of someone or something acting on another person.) Sure, it's a nice hotel, but it will lighten your wallet faster than you can say "overpriced." I'm always wary of souvenir merchants in foreign cities, whose sole objective is to lighten travelers' wallets.
lighten the load
To help make something less difficult, upsetting, or overwhelming for one. Thankfully my wife's family will be there when we move to help lighten the load a bit. I'm so sorry for your loss, Jen. If there's anything we can do to lighten the load, please don't hesitate to ask.
lighten up
1. To brighten something in color. I think some new highlights will lighten up your hair and really refresh your look.
2. To cause someone or something to become less serious or stern. It's a funeral—nothing you do will lighten up the mood.
3. expression Used to encourage someone to act less seriously or sternly. A: "I think he definitely needs to be grounded." B: "Oh, lighten up—it's not like you never made stupid mistakes as a kid."
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
lighten something up
to make something lighter or brighter. Some white paint will lighten this room up a lot. The sunlight came in and lightened up the kitchen.
lighten up
to become lighter or brighter. (See also
lighten up (on someone or something).)
We applied a new coat of white paint to the walls, and the room lightened up considerably. The sky is beginning to lighten up a little.lighten up (on someone or something)
to be less rough and demanding or rude with someone or something. Please lighten up on her. You are being very cruel. You are too harsh. Lighten up.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
lighten up
Become or cause to become less serious or gloomy, and more cheerful. For example, Lighten up, Sam-it'll turn out all right. This slangy expression transfers reducing a physical weight to a change of mood or attitude.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
lighten up
v.1. To make something appear lighter in shade: The artist lightened up the paint by mixing in some white. Those mirrors really lighten the room up.
2. To become lighter in shade: These pants are too dark now, but they will lighten up after they've been washed a lot.
3. To make something more pleasant and less serious or depressing: The jokes lightened up the tone of the meeting. I didn't mean to be disrespectful—I was just trying to lighten things up.
4. To take matters less seriously: Everything will work out fine, so stop worrying and lighten up.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
lighten up
Don’t be so serious, relax. Originally, this slangy imperative, dating from the 1940s, meant to calm down, but in succeeding decades it took on its present meaning. Tracy Kidder had it in Among Schoolchildren (1989): “Me and my precious schedules . . . I’ve got to lighten up. Chill out.”
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer