verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
sb’s face lights up/brightens (= they start to look happy )
▪
Denise’s face lit up when she heard the news.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
up
▪
They are there to brighten up the place and to foreshadow the eternal pleasures awaiting Khmer heroes in the afterlife.
▪
Rivers only roll along to brighten up the landscape, and cattle graze only to give life to his drawings.
▪
You should only see their eager faces how they brighten up when the Sisters come.
▪
Perhaps she would brighten up now that she had another substantial amount of cash to spend.
▪
She brightened up . ` Still, there's one way to find them.
▪
Many of them are particularly useful for brightening up shady positions.
▪
Driving away from the town and along the coast road, Sarah brightened up considerably as she thought of Emily's words.
■ NOUN
face
▪
Mami asked, her face brightening .
▪
Joey asked, his face brightening .
▪
You should only see their eager faces how they brighten up when the Sisters come.
room
▪
After the polonaise, the first waltz brightened the room with its jaunty rhythm.
▪
The morning sunshine brightened the room , embellishing the cups and plates upon the dresser.
▪
This unusual, colourful hanging ornament will brighten any room .
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪
Fireworks brightened the sky.
▪
Flowers are one way to brighten your surroundings.
▪
I read an article in the paper that brightened my day.
▪
Julie brightened up at the thought of visiting home.
▪
New curtains would brighten up the room.
▪
The political situation has brightened in recent months.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪
At his name, James Whitaker, royal correspondent of the Mirror, brightened as though you had changed his batteries.
▪
But neighbours say it brightens up the area and they want it to stay.
▪
He looked at his watch to find that it was 0228, but still the sky had not begun to brighten .
▪
His eyes brightened through his rimless glasses.
▪
This brightens and hardens the surface of cutlery so it becomes more resistant to wear and it also removes minor scratches.
▪
Won't that brighten the neighborhood!