lightens up
Stops being serious
Lightens up means to become less serious, tense, or strict.
Someone who lightens up relaxes their mood or eases their demands: Lighten up, it was just a joke.
The phrase often appears as an imperative, telling someone they're being too uptight or taking things too seriously.
A situation that lightens up becomes less heavy or oppressive: The atmosphere lightened up once the boss left.
- unburdensReleases from weight
- illuminateSupply with radiance
- brightenIncrease luminosity or cheer
- cheerJoyfulness or encouragement
- dissipatesGradually breaks up, vanishes
liven up · easing · joy · relief · happiness · lightheartedness · opens up · jokes around · clears up · softens · unwinds · loosens up · takes it easy · warms up · calms down · mellows out · fades · breaks the ice
lightens upbroods
Ponders with gloom
darkens · sulks · mopes · stews · overthinks
lightens uptightens up
Makes less loose
doubles down · bears down · stiffens · clamps down · intensifies
lighten, lightens, lightened, lightening, light, lights, lighted, lit, lighter