to enlighten
13
6.8
- verb
- /ɪnˈlaɪtən/
- Formal
:
iluminar
- The only people round here looking to be enlightened are the medical students.
Examples
-
"Oh, brothers," he implored, "when will you enlighten yourselves and understand the horrible things you are doing?"
Academic text (1998) -
I'm someone who's trying to enlighten you.
-
Never mind, it will be up to us to enlighten them when they are ready.
Blog text (21) -
Let me enlighten you, priest.
-
A few of us are trying very hard to enlighten the indoctrinated.
Blog text (24) -
Maybe someone can enlighten me so I don't make the worst decision of my life.
Blog text (6) -
I've come to enlighten you to the great darkness.
-
As you instructed me, I have enlightened your nephews concerning my plan...
-
A lay nun, no less, part-time bride of Christ, and she scribbled a book to enlighten the rest of us.
Fiction book (2001) -
The teacher aims to enlighten her students about the importance of kindness and compassion.
Synonyms
84
7.4
Make hidden truth known by a god or spirit
51
4.8
To make something clear or easier to understand
35
3.7
To make someone become aware of something for the first time
3
7.0
To teach someone in a way that makes their thinking and actions better
3
3.7
Make someone understand something they did not know before
1
9.9
To ask questions and teach someone about religious beliefs
1
9.9
To fill someone's heart or mind with spiritual understanding
To explain a difficult idea so someone understands
To help someone understand more about a subject or the world
Antonyms
How Enlightening
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Enlighten comes from the parts en- 'make' and light 'what makes things bright', the same idea behind the everyday words light and lighten. Think of it as 'putting light into the soul' or turning on a lamp in a dark room, so to enlighten someone spiritually is to give them inner light or deep understanding.