Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of verb enlighten

3 senses of enlighten

Sense 1
enlighten, edify -- (make understand; "Can you enlighten me--I don't understand this proposal")
       => teach, learn, instruct -- (impart skills or knowledge to; "I taught them French"; "He instructed me in building a boat")

Sense 2
enlighten, irradiate -- (give spiritual insight to; in religion)
       => prophesy, vaticinate -- (predict or reveal through, or as if through, divine inspiration)

Sense 3
clear, clear up, shed light on, crystallize, crystallise, crystalize, crystalise, straighten out, sort out, enlighten, illuminate, elucidate -- (make free from confusion or ambiguity; make clear; "Could you clarify these remarks?"; "Clear up the question of who is at fault")
       => clarify, clear up, elucidate -- (make clear and (more) comprehensible; "clarify the mystery surrounding her death")

Antonyms of adj enlightening

2 senses of enlightening

Sense 1
enlightening (vs. unenlightening), informative, illuminating -- (tending to increase knowledge or dissipate ignorance; "an enlightening glimpse of government in action"; "an illuminating lecture")

unenlightening (vs. enlightening), unilluminating -- (failing to inform or clarify; "an unenlightening comment")

Sense 2
edifying (vs. unedifying), enlightening -- (enlightening or uplifting so as to encourage intellectual or moral improvement; "the paintings in the church served an edifying purpose even for those who could not read")


Similarity of adj enlightening

2 senses of enlightening

Sense 1
enlightening (vs. unenlightening), informative, illuminating -- (tending to increase knowledge or dissipate ignorance; "an enlightening glimpse of government in action"; "an illuminating lecture")

Sense 2
edifying (vs. unedifying), enlightening -- (enlightening or uplifting so as to encourage intellectual or moral improvement; "the paintings in the church served an edifying purpose even for those who could not read")