enlighten
To explain something so that someone understands it clearly.
enlighten in a sentence
- 'Perhaps you could enlighten us,' said the teacher, 'and explain exactly how the trick was done.'
- The museum guide was happy to enlighten us about how the Romans built their long, straight roads.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to enlighten?
- Amislead
- Bconfuse
- Cinform
- Dpuzzle
Show the answer
C: inform. The other three mean the opposite of enlighten.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to enlighten?
- Ateach
- Bexplain
- Cinform
- Dconfuse
Show the answer
D: confuse. The other three mean nearly the same as enlighten.
Words that mean something similar
inform, teach, explain
Words that mean the opposite
confuse, puzzle, mislead
More words about thinking & learning
- enthral: To hold someone's full attention with delight.
- essential: So important that you cannot manage without it.
- establish: To set something up, or to prove that something is true.
- evaluate: To think carefully about how good or useful something is.
- evident: Easy to see or understand.
- fable: A short story, often about animals, that teaches a lesson.
- fathom: To understand something after thinking about it very hard.
- foresee: To know something will happen before it actually does.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test