heighten: Meaning and Definition of
height•en
Pronunciation: (hīt'n), [key] — v.t.
- to increase the height of; make higher.
- to increase the degree or amount of; augment: Cézanne's death heightened the value of his paintings.
- to strengthen, deepen, or intensify: to heighten the plot of a story; to heighten one's awareness or appreciation; to heighten one's suffering.
- to bring out the important features of, as in a drawing:Chinese white. to heighten a picture with
—v.i. - to become higher.
- to increase: The tension heightened as the enemy forces advanced.
- to brighten or become more intense.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.