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Suppose you use a dimmer (a device for varying the brightness of an electric light) at home. When you fell the light is too bright, you can ask someone to dim the light, but what a native would say as a request from someone to make the lights bright?

  • Example) Here is too dark Andy. Please..........(make the lights bright)
  • Does "Brighten the lights" work?

2 Answers 2

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Your example shouldn't use "here", it should use "it". (Although "it" is non-specific, but people understand what is being refered to. Check my second example though.)

It is too dark, Andy. Please turn up the lights.

There is also "undim", but that's a little... clunky.

It is too dark here, Andy. Please undim the lights.

"Undim" could imply "turn them all the way up", while "turn up" simply means "make them brighter" without being specific as to how bright.

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You can for sure use the suggested verb to turn on -off... but note that this is a verb related with an interpretation to a on-off state no middle(discrete) values allowed... you can use that and for sure Andy will get what you mind :)

But based on the context you could use better dim as verb..

like Donna Summer and her song - Dim All the Lights :) and according to the FreeDictionary dim up is a valid verb

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the opposite is Dim Down examples:

  • Why don't you dim the lights down and put on some music?

  • Let me dim down the lights and put on some music.

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    "Dim up" seems to only occur in the technical context of theater lighting. I've never heard it actually used. "Dim" is a good verb, but since by itself it means "to turn down the intensity of light", using down with it is redundant.
    – stangdon
    Nov 13, 2016 at 13:27

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