mighten
Mountain talk for mightn't, often in a soft tag question.
Also called mightn't, might not.
Updated September 24, 2026
mighten pronunciation
/MITE-un/
Meaning
A spoken form of mightn't (might not), kept alive in Appalachian and rural Southern speech. You hear it most as a tag: "mighten we?" or "mighten you?" stuck on the end of a guess, looking for agreement without sounding pushy. Same job as "right?" or "don't you think?" but with older English bones.
How folks use it
- “We could beat that rain home, mighten we?”
- “You be a Barber too, mighten you?”
Origin and etymology
Comes from mightn't, the old contraction of might not. British settlers brought that habit; mountain speakers softened the sound to mighten and kept using it in everyday talk long after most of America dropped mightn't. Florida and Appalachian story talk both show the tag-question use.
Frequently asked questions
Is mighten the same as might could?
No. Might could is a double modal meaning maybe able to. Mighten is closer to mightn't, often used as a soft "right?"