heighten
/ˈhaɪtən/verb
To raise something up, or to make it stronger or more intense.
Example sentences
- “The eerie music heightened the tension in the film.”
- “News of the robbery heightened fears among local shop owners.”
Prefers abstractions: heightened tension, heightened awareness, heightened security. To make a wall taller you 'raise' it; heighten has gone almost wholly figurative.