tighten

B1 Topic:Cause, Change & Process

US /ˈtaɪ.tən/ See IPA manual

verb Freq #10842

Meanings

1

verb
To make something firmer or more securely fastened.

Please tighten that screw a little more.
2

verb
To become firmer, harder, or more stretched.

The rope tightened as the boat pulled away.
3

verb
To make rules or controls stricter.

The government plans to tighten the rules on imports.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to make something firmer or... fasten

3 verb · to make rules or controls... constrain

More bind brace cinch clench constrict squeezetaughtentauten tense

Opposites

divide liberate loosen

Word family

Forms tightenedtighteningtightens

Derived forms belt-tightenretightentightener

Related forms tight

Common collocations

tighten security Verb + noun

Etymology

Synchronically equivalent to tight + -en, but actually derived from Middle English tighten, from Old English tyhtan, thus originally unrelated to tight (Old English *þiht).

tighten Middle English tyhtan Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Cause, Change & Process Actions & Processes

# tighten

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** ˈtaɪ.tən
**Frequency rank:** 10842

## Meanings
1. To make something firmer or more securely fastened.
2. To become firmer, harder, or more stretched.
3. To make rules or controls stricter.

## Examples
- Please tighten that screw a little more.
- The rope tightened as the boat pulled away.
- The government plans to tighten the rules on imports.

## Synonyms
- bind
- brace
- cinch
- clench
- constrict
- squeeze
- taughten
- tauten
- tense

## Antonyms
- divide
- liberate
- loosen

## Derived Forms
- belt-tighten
- retighten
- tightener

## Related Forms
- tight

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: tighten
- Root: tyhtan

## Etymology
Synchronically equivalent to tight + -en, but actually derived from Middle English tighten, from Old English tyhtan, thus originally unrelated to tight (Old English *þiht).

## AI Etymology
Tighten is synchronically equivalent to tight + -en, but actually derived from Middle English tighten, from Old English tyhtan, thus originally unrelated to tight (Old English *þiht). The historical line also includes Middle English tighten, Old English tyhtan. In present-day use, it can mean to make something firmer or more securely fastened, or to become firmer, harder, or more stretched. Derived formations include belt-tighten, retighten, tightener.

## Topics
- Cause, Change & Process
- Actions & Processes

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