lighten up

Definitions

1. 1

   To make (something) or to become less serious and more cheerful or casual

   To make (something) or to become less serious and more cheerful or casual; to relax.

   • I wish he'd lighten up a bit and realize that we were only joking.
   • The mood at work has been tense, so he's looking for ways to lighten it up.
   • Sondheim's sense of life — which is pretty pessimistic (I don't think that anyone ever ends happily ever after in a Sondheim musical) — is brought through without trying to lighten it up.
2. 2

   To lighten (something)

   To lighten (something): to decrease its weight.

   • Near-synonym: slim down
   • He can't get any more power out of it [his drag racer], so now he's looking for ways to lighten it up.

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