heightened; heightening
ˈhī-tᵊn-iŋ 
ˈhīt-niŋ
1
a
: to increase the amount or degree of : augment
heighten interest in the book
heighten tensions in the region
b
: to make brighter or more intense : deepen
… slowly rubbing the gold piece … as if to heighten its lustre …—
Herman Melville
Herman Melville
c
: to bring out more strongly : point up
… uses the camera to punctuate and heighten the story.—Stacey Bell
Stacey Bell
d
: to make more acute : sharpen
heighten the contrast on a monitor
2
a
: to raise high or higher : elevate
b
: to raise above the ordinary or trite
heightened prose
3
obsolete
: elate
2
a
: to become great or greater in amount, degree, or extent
b
: to become brighter or more intense
Examples of heighten in a Sentence
The plan will only heighten tensions between the two groups.
This tragedy has heightened our awareness of the need for improved safety measures.
Tensions between the two groups have heightened.
Recent Examples on the Web
Major reservoirs in the Colorado River Basin remain well below average, the agency’s latest data shows, heightening concerns about water availability across the region.
—Daniel Manzo, ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026
Mental health concerns have only heightened as AI chatbots that respond to questions and generate content become more popular.
—Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
Tensions were heightened recently when the General Synod failed to agree on reforms related to same-sex unions, leaving one of the most delicate debates for the institution’s future unresolved.
—Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 27 Mar. 2026
That anxiety is only heightened after the couple arrives at Nicky’s family’s winter cabin, where they’re set to be married in five days.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heighten
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Daniel Manzo, ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026
Mental health concerns have only heightened as AI chatbots that respond to questions and generate content become more popular.
—Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
Tensions were heightened recently when the General Synod failed to agree on reforms related to same-sex unions, leaving one of the most delicate debates for the institution’s future unresolved.
—Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 27 Mar. 2026
That anxiety is only heightened after the couple arrives at Nicky’s family’s winter cabin, where they’re set to be married in five days.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heighten
Cite this Entry
“Heighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heighten. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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