What does tighten mean?
Word: Tighten
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Tighten means to make something tighter or firmer, or to become tighter.
How do you spell tighten?
Syllables: tight - en
Tricky part: The g and h make no sound at all, so students write titen or tigten.
Watch out for: titen, tigten
Memory tip: Light, night and tight all hide the same two quiet letters.
Idioms and Phrases
- tighten your belt: to spend less money than you did before. Example: "We must tighten our belts this month if we want to buy the new cycle."
Tighten in a sentence
Example 1: Please tighten the lid of the pickle jar before you put it back.
Example 2: Dad used a spanner to tighten the bolt on my cycle seat.
Example 3: Before the concert, Tanvi had to tighten two strings on her violin.
Fun Fact
The left pedal of a bicycle has a reverse thread, so that riding forward helps tighten it and does not work it free.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Makeup
Choose the suffix that completes the word:
tight____
a) in
b) an
c) en
d) on
Show answer
c) en. This ending turns a describing word into a verb, as in short and shorten.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
tnhgeit
a) tighten
b) lighten
c) thicken
d) frighten
Show answer
a) tighten. Thicken has a c and k, frighten an f and r, and lighten an l, and only tighten has two t's.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word:
tighten
a) stiffen
b) loosen
c) fasten
d) shorten
Show answer
b) loosen. A loose screw is one you have not yet made firm, so the two verbs pull in opposite directions.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) tighten
b) strengthen
c) widen
d) lenghten
Show answer
d) lenghten. Long gives length, so the g comes before the t and h here: lengthen.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Thomas wants to tighten his belt. What must he do?
a) let it out by one hole
b) swap it for a long scarf
c) pull it in by one hole
d) take it off and fold it
Show answer
c) pull it in by one hole
2. What happens to the note when you tighten a guitar string?
a) The note gets higher
b) The note slowly fades away
c) The note stays the same
d) The note gets lower
Show answer
a) The note gets higher
