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Glite Dictionary
to whiten

to whiten

8 2.8
Make or become more white in color
  • verb
  • /ˈwaɪtən/
translation icon : blanquear
  • I actually think that I'm going to throw in these teeth whitening trays and whiten my teeth while we watch TV.

Wow, do you whiten your teeth?

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Examples

  • People often use various methods to whiten their teeth at home.

  • You could get your teeth whitened like I did.

    Ghost Town (2008)

  • So I normally whiten my teeth once a month.

  • It's affordable, it helps whiten skin.

  • And first one I'm going to go for is whiten your teeth.

    Chris Williamson

  • Right now I'm just setting my makeup as I whiten my teeth.

  • But my teeth have just been whitened!

    Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters (2007)

  • Did you get your teeth whitened?

    Four Brothers (2005)

  • I'm having my teeth whitened Tuesday.

    Horrible Bosses (2011)

  • Something that I've been trying to do lately is whiten my teeth because it's something when my teeth aren't yellow.

Synonyms

to bleach
vsto whiten
50 3.2

To make something lighter in color, often using chemicals or sunlight

describes making paler without specifying chemical or sun treatment
to lighten
vsto whiten
16 2.3

To make a place or color look brighter

means making paler toward a very pale color rather than generally increasing brightness
to whitewash
vsto whiten
11 4.3

To cover walls with a thin white paint made from lime and water

applies to general color change, not only surface coating or cleaning tasks
to white
vsto whiten
8 5.9

To make something very light in color

is the alternative verb form used more often in standard writing
to bleach out
vsto whiten
1 3.8

Make clothes and similar things much lighter in color, usually by sunlight or chemicals

covers the same change but does not focus on exposure methods
to decolorize
vsto whiten
  • US
7.0

To take the color out of something like fabric or a photograph

focuses on making paler generally rather than emphasizing removal of pigment
to decolor
vsto whiten
  • US
7.9

To make something lose its color or become lighter

aims simply to make paler without implying chemical or physical removal
to decolourize
vsto whiten
  • UK
7.7

To make something lose its color

refers to making something paler without stressing the removal process
to discolorize
vsto whiten
  • US
8.9

To make something lose its color or become lighter

means making paler in general rather than describing a fading process

Antonyms

to darken
63 3.3

Make or become less bright, for example a room

to blacken
19 3.4

To make something dark or to become dark, for example walls after a fire

How White

bleach
2 2.7
to whiten
8 2.8
to lighten
16 2.3

Surface Forms

whiten infinitive
whitened past
whitened past participle
whitening present participle
whitens third person singular

Morphology

whiten = white (transparent) = white + en

Routine verb formation: the adjective 'white' plus the productive verb-forming suffix '-en' yields 'whiten' meaning 'make or become white'.

Etymology

The word whiten comes from the old English word white plus the verb ending -en, so it originally meant 'make white'. Like brighten, the -en part turns a description into an action, which is why to whiten something is to make it more white or paler.