heighten
HY-tun
/ˈhaɪ.tən/
To make or become more intense or pronounced.
Often used for abstract things like awareness, tension, or senses. It suggests raising the 'level' of something.
The story behind the word. A simple Germanic construction: the noun 'height' plus the suffix '-en' (to make). It follows the same pattern as 'strengthen' or 'lengthen'.
Word relationships
- intensify: Intensify is about the strength of the force; heighten is about the level or degree of the feeling.
- diminish: Diminish means to make or become less.
Commonly confused with
- high: High is an adjective; heighten is the action of making something high or higher in intensity.
Word family
- heightened (adjective): Increased in intensity or degree.
Collocations
- heighten awareness
- heighten tension
- heighten the senses
Example sentences
- "The suspenseful music was used to heighten the sense of dread in the audience." Cinematic experience
- "Security at the airport was heightened following the anonymous threat." Security
Memory hook
Think of a volume knob. When you 'heighten' the volume, the sound gets more intense. Heighten: Raise the level.
When not to use
Don't use for physical height unless you mean increasing the height of a building (though 'raise' is more common there).
Fun facts
- The word 'height' used to be spelled 'highth' to match 'width' and 'length', but the 'th' was eventually dropped.
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