tighten meaning

the word ‘tighten’ means to make something more tight or secure.

tighten :

to make tighter, to secure better

Verb

▪ Please tighten your seatbelt.

▪ Please make your seatbelt more tight.

▪ The manager asked to tighten the budget.

▪ The manager asked to make the budget stricter.

paraphrasing

▪ secure – to make safe or tight

▪ fasten – to attach or make secure

▪ reinforce – to make stronger or tighter

▪ stiffen – to make rigid or tight

tighten

Pronunciation

tighten [ˈtaɪtn]

The stress is on the first syllable 'tight' and sounds like 'tight-n'.

Common phrases and grammar about tighten

tighten - Common meaning

Verb
to make tighter, to secure better

Part of Speech Changes for "tighten"

▪ tightness (noun) – the state of being tight or secure

▪ tighten up (phrasal verb) – to make more secure or strict

Common Expressions with "tighten"

▪ tighten the budget – to reduce the amount of budget

▪ tighten security – to make security stronger

▪ tighten your grip – to hold more firmly

▪ tighten the screws – to fasten securely

Important examples of tighten in TOEIC

Vocabulary examples from the TOEIC test

In TOEIC vocabulary questions, tighten is used to indicate making something more secure or strict.

▪Please tighten the straps on the bag.
▪Please make the straps on the bag more secure.

Example of a confusing word: lighten (to make lighter)

▪Please lighten the straps on the bag.
▪Please make the straps on the bag less heavy.
"Tighten" means "to make something more secure or firm," often used with objects like straps, screws, or regulations. In the sentence "Please tighten the straps on the bag," it correctly suggests making the straps more secure. "Lighten," however, means "to make less heavy" or "to reduce weight," which does not fit in the context of securing straps. Using "lighten" here would be grammatically correct but semantically inappropriate, as it suggests reducing weight rather than securing. Therefore, "tighten" is the correct choice for this context.

Grammar examples from the TOEIC test

Tighten is used as a transitive verb, often requiring an object in TOEIC grammar questions.

▪They need to tighten the schedule.
▪They need to make the schedule more strict.

tighten

Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC

tighten the belt

to reduce spending

▪We need to tighten the belt this month.
▪We need to reduce spending this month.

tighten up

to make more strict or secure

▪The company decided to tighten up security measures.
▪The company decided to make security measures stricter.

Differences between similar words and tighten

tighten

,

secure

differences

tighten is to make tighter, while secure is to make safe or protect

tighten
▪Please tighten the bolts.
▪Please secure the bolts.
secure
▪He tightened the bolts on his bike.
▪He secured the bolts on his bike.

tighten

,

fasten

differences

tighten makes something more tight, fasten makes something attached or closed securely.

tighten
▪Please tighten the lid on the jar.
▪He tightened the seatbelt before driving.
fasten
▪He fastened the seatbelt before driving.
▪He tightened the seatbelt before driving.

Words with the same origin as tighten

The origin of tighten

tighten comes from the adjective 'tight' plus the verb suffix 'en', meaning to make tight.

Word structure

It has the root 'tight' and the suffix 'en', so 'tighten' means 'to make tight'.

Words with the same origin

The root of tighten is 'tight'. Words with the same root include tight, tightly, tightness.

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