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to light

to light

905 1.0
To make something start to burn or shine
  • verb
  • /laɪt/
translation icon : encender
  • In the bedroom, he left her to light several candles about the room.
  • light a fire
  • light a candle
  • light a room

OK, OK, And you're going to light this on fire.

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Examples

  • It's about to light up.

  • Why did you have to light a fire?

  • Great, I'll light a fire.

  • OK, And now you light the flame in there.

  • Stick a feather in one end as a fuse, light it and stand well back.

  • OK, light everything up with the lanterns.

  • The sooner we light the stove, the sooner the world will know we have a new Pope.

  • While she fidgeted with the matches to light the oil heater, the telephone rang.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Slowly, the occupants stirred, rose, opened doors, lit fires, and made cups of tea.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • He will light the barbecue after everyone arrives.

Synonyms

to burn
vsto light
181 2.3

To produce light and heat from fire

can also mean causing that intense glowing in other things
to fire
vsto light
175 2.2

To light and keep burning a stove or furnace

is broader, applying to both brightening and ignition actions
to ignite
vsto light
66 4.0

To make something start burning

also applies to producing brightness without causing combustion
to light up
vsto light
64 2.5

Begin to shine or make something begin to shine, for example by burning

is more general and also means causing something to ignite
to illuminate
vsto light
52 4.1

To make something bright or visible with light

also includes starting things burning as well
to give a light
vsto light
4 3.2

To offer a flame to start a cigarette or candle

is broader, covering both general brightening and larger ignition acts
to illumine
vsto light
1 8.1

To light something or make it easier to understand

also refers to causing actual combustion not only clarity
to irradiate
vsto light
1 7.8

To shine light on something to make it visible

is less technical and also includes making things burn
to illume
vsto light
  • Literature
1 9.9

To light up a place or thing

also covers causing objects to start burning
to lumine
vsto light
  • Archaic
9.9

To make something shine with soft light

also covers the practical act of starting objects to burn

Antonyms

63 3.3

Make or become less bright, for example a room

23 4.4

Stop a fire, candle, or other light from burning

Idioms

to see the light
  • Informal
55 5.0

To understand something important and change for the better

A sign that a hard time will soon end or get better

out like a light
  • Informal
7 7.3

To fall asleep or become unconscious very quickly

Seen in a different way that shows new sides

4 4.8

Can move quickly and lightly like a dancer

Make someone or something look bad to other people

4 5.6

Much more advanced than others in development and skill

3 3.4

Make a room feel happier and more lively

3 3.8

Make a room feel happy and friendly when someone arrives

Dance in a lively, graceful way to music

Look suddenly very happy and excited

1 6.0

A cheerful and friendly feeling among people

A friendly, peaceful situation with no open arguments

1 5.1

Suddenly understand something when an idea appears in your mind

To keep your talents or good work hidden instead of showing them to others

A rude phrase that says a man seems feminine or gay

Become covered in many bright lights for decoration

To make a flame with a match or lighter

6.3

A person someone loves most and who makes them very happy

light on the hill
  • Australian
8.7

A person or group that gives hope and shows people how to behave

To start something that quickly becomes exciting or causes strong debate

To dance in a lively, elegant way to music

Make yourself look good to other people

Do things that stop you from succeeding

Phrasal Verbs

64 2.5

Begin to shine or make something begin to shine, for example by burning

To become known after being hidden

52 4.1

Become suddenly very happy or make a place bright and sometimes scold someone strongly

To switch a light so it stops shining

to light up
  • Informal
33 4.6

Start smoking a cigarette or pipe

30 3.7

Make a fact or situation easier to understand

To help people understand something by explaining it

to shine light on
  • Literature
26 3.9

To show information people do not know

To show facts that were hidden before

Make a candle burn to remember someone who has died or to show respect

to shine a light on
  • Literature
12 4.1

To make a problem or issue clear and known to many people

7 6.7

To make someone want to work harder and faster

to light up
  • Informal
6 3.7

Become lively and cheerful because someone is there

To take only a few small bags when you travel

Shine or sparkle when light hits them

To offer a flame to start a cigarette or candle

To find something by chance

To make the night sky bright with lights like fireworks

To keep a light near someone so they can see what they are doing

1 4.1

To finish a task quickly and with little effort

To angrily tell someone they did something wrong, often in front of others

Compounds

light-year
  • Specialized
109 4.9

The distance light travels in one year

64 1.0

A red traffic light that tells cars and people to stop

62 1.8

A glass object that makes light when electricity passes through it

46 2.3

A signal that lets you start or continue something, for example a traffic light

speed of light
  • Specialized
43 3.8

A constant speed at which light travels in empty space, about 300,000 kilometres per second

34 1.7

The time in the morning when the sky starts to get bright

28 1.0

A device with red, yellow and green lights that controls cars and people at street intersections

light year
  • Specialized
19 5.0

The distance light travels in one year in space, about 9.46 trillion kilometers

19 3.8

Light that contains all the colors you can see

light year
  • Informal
18 4.1

A very large gap in progress or quality

16 1.0

A pale brown color like dry sand in sunlight

16 1.0

A pale shade of blue like the sky on a clear day

15 3.5

A display of colored lights that move and change for entertainment

A light that flashes to warn people, for example on ambulances or at crossings

12 3.0

A thing like a lamp or candle that makes a place bright so you can see

12 2.5

A narrow line of light from a lamp or the sun

12 3.7

A device on a ceiling or wall that holds and powers a light bulb

11 2.2

Light that comes from the sun, not from lamps

11 2.1

A light placed near a house entrance to help people see the door at night

10 2.4

Not dark in color, often pale like white

10 2.5

A small lamp left on at night to give dim light in a room

visible light
  • Specialized
10 3.4

Light that people can see, like sunlight or lamp light

light heavyweight
  • Specialized
10 3.5

A fighter in the weight class between middleweight and heavyweight

ultraviolet light
  • Specialized
10 4.0

A type of light from the sun that you cannot see and that can burn your skin

9 2.6

A kind of beer with less alcohol and fewer calories than regular beer

A light that gets power from wires, often from a bulb

light speed
  • Specialized
8 5.0

The speed that light travels in empty space

A light that turns on in vehicles or machines to show a problem

brake light
  • Specialized
6 2.2

A red light at the back of a car that comes on when you press the pedal to stop

strobe light
  • Specialized
6 3.7

A light that flashes quickly and regularly to make visual effects

6 6.1

An area of a city where many people sell sex

6 1.8

A traffic signal that warns drivers to slow down and prepare to stop

5 1.0

A pale green color like fresh grass

infrared light
  • Specialized
5 4.0

Light you cannot see that often feels warm

4 2.2

A narrow column of light that you can see in the air

A person who leads and inspires others in a group by example

4 6.7

A soft dim glow when things are only partly seen, like at dawn or dusk

Soft and airy with small air pockets that make it not heavy

4 3.9

A gentle, brief contact made with little force

A bad way to show or talk about something

A narrow beam of light that shines through an opening and lights a small area

A phrase used to say something happens very fast

pilot light
  • Specialized
4 3.8

A small gas flame that stays lit to light a larger burner

A red, yellow and green sign on a report or screen that shows a project's status

running light
  • Specialized
3 5.8

A light on a boat that shows its position and direction at night

3 1.5

A gentle wind you feel on your face that moves leaves

3 4.0

Made for jobs that do not need much strength or heavy use

A person who is respected and helps shape a group's ideas or work

light work
  • Informal
3 1.0

An easy task that takes little effort

Clothes and rooms that are not heavy or tight and feel fresh and open

Inner Light
  • Jargon
2 9.9

A quiet feeling of God's presence inside a person that guides their choices

2 1.7

A warning that something is wrong and you should stop or be careful

2 1.0

A lamp that makes a room bright enough to see

2 3.9

Poor lighting that makes it hard to see

2 2.0

A narrow beam of light you can see shining through darkness

klieg light
  • Archaic
1 9.8

A very bright lamp used on film and TV sets to light actors

1 3.7

A small airplane used for private or hobby flying

A small light bulb that uses little electricity and lasts longer

A glass bulb with a thin wire that makes light when electricity passes through it

1 3.2

Small colored bulbs on a thin wire used to decorate trees or balconies

light meter
  • Specialized
1 4.2

A small device that measures light to help set camera settings

light-emitting diode
  • Specialized
1 4.6

A small device that makes light when electricity flows through it, for example in traffic lights and screens

1 3.2

A light or fire used to send a message over a distance

arc light
  • Archaic
1 8.1

A lamp that makes very bright light when electricity jumps between two metal rods

1 4.3

A piece of clear material, like a camera lens, that reduces light passing through it

1 3.4

A device on a wall or ceiling that holds and powers a light bulb

light microscope
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A tool that uses light and lenses to make tiny things like cells look larger

1 5.3

A short, funny musical play with singing and a light story

light intensity
  • Specialized
1 3.9

The amount of light you can see coming from a lamp or the sun in one direction

light machine gun
  • Specialized
1 4.9

An automatic gun that one soldier can carry and use

1 3.7

A short, shallow sleep you wake up easily from

light welterweight
  • Specialized
1 6.1

A boxing weight class for fighters who weigh about 140 pounds

1 3.9

A sudden time when you understand something clearly

How Bright

to ignite
66 4.0
to kindle
4 3.7
to light
905 1.0
to spark
26 2.8

Surface Forms

light infinitive
lighting present participle
lights third person singular
lit past
lit past participle

Etymology

Light (verb) meaning 'to make bright' or 'start a fire' comes from an old verb lihtan that meant 'make bright' or 'set on fire'. So to light a fire is to make it burn and shine.