To heighten means to make something greater, stronger, or more intense. When a movie uses dramatic music to heighten the suspense during a scary scene, the music makes the tension feel even stronger. When a chef adds spices to heighten the flavor of a dish, those spices make the taste more vivid and noticeable.

You can heighten physical things: platform shoes heighten your height by adding inches. But the word often describes increasing feelings, sensations, or effects. A storyteller might heighten the drama by pausing at just the right moment. Bright colors can heighten the excitement of a room's appearance. Practicing a skill repeatedly heightens your ability and confidence.

The word suggests building up something that already exists rather than creating it from nothing. You can't heighten suspense if there's no suspense to begin with. When a teacher dims the lights before showing an educational film, she's heightening the sense of anticipation that's already building in the classroom. Heightened awareness means paying closer attention than usual. Heightened emotions mean feelings that have become stronger or more intense, like the heightened joy you feel when your team scores the winning point in the final seconds.