What is the meaning of heightening?

verb

• Become more extreme.
  • usage: "The tension heightened"
  • synonyms: heighten, rise
• Make more extreme; raise in quantity, degree, or intensity.
  • usage: "heightened interest"
  • synonyms: heighten
• Increase.
  • usage: "This will enhance your enjoyment"; "heighten the tension"
  • synonyms: enhance, heighten, raise
• Increase the height of.
  • usage: "The athletes kept jumping over the steadily heightened bars"
  • synonyms: heighten
• Make (one's senses) more acute.
  • usage: "This drug will sharpen your vision"
  • synonyms: sharpen, heighten
• Make more intense, stronger, or more marked.
  • usage: "The efforts were intensified, "Her rudeness intensified his dislike for her"; "Pot smokers claim it heightens their awareness"; "This event only deepened my convictions"
  • synonyms: intensify, compound, heighten, deepen

adjective

• Reaching a higher intensity.
  • usage: "their heightening fears"