21 ‘-en’ Verbs to Sharpen Your Wits and Broaden Your Horizons

Have you ever noticed how many verbs you can make by adding “-en” to an adjective? For example, if a meeting room’s too bright for your presentation, you can darken it (= make it dark) by closing the blinds. But if it’s too dark, you can brighten it (= make it bright) by turning on the lights.

We often add words like “up” and “down” to “-en” verbs. For example, if you come to work wearing dirty old clothes, your boss might tell you to smarten up. If your meeting is too noisy, somebody in the next office might tell you to quieten down. And it’s always a good idea to freshen up after a long journey to work, especially on a hot day.

A few “-en” verbs (e.g. frighten) are built from nouns (e.g. fright), not adjectives. That’s why the opposite of “shorten” is “lengthen,” from the noun “length,” not the adjective “long.” Similarly, the opposite of “weaken” is “strengthen,” from the noun “strength,” not the adjective “strong.”

When can I use “-en” verbs?

These “-en” verbs are especially useful for doing physical jobs with tools. Do you need totighten a screw (and loosen it again later)? Do you want to shorten, flatten, or straighten a piece of metal? Are you trying to widen or deepen a hole? Or do you simply need to sharpen your pencil? For jobs like these, just reach for an “-en” verb.

You can also use “-en” verbs in a negotiation. You might soften your position to show you’re flexible, perhaps by lessening your asking price. That might strengthen your hand in the negotiation if it helps the other person to trust you. Alternatively, you might harden your position to show you feel very strongly about something. Just be careful not to frighten the other person away from the negotiation.

Finally, you can use “-en” verbs to improve your brain. You can broaden your knowledge by learning about lots of different things. Or you can deepen your knowledge by becoming an expert in one or two things. You can sharpen your wits by doing lots of math and logic puzzles. But perhaps the best way to improve your brain is to broaden your horizons, by keeping your eyes — and your mind — open to new experiences.

Originally published at www.GetNewsmart.com