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to light

to light

6 9.9
To come down and rest gently on a surface
  • verb
  • /laɪt/
  • Archaic
: posarse
  • The poet beautifully described how the leaves lighted down to the ground in the autumn breeze.

Examples

  • Oh, I can see her now, with the golden rays of the setting sun lighting up her sweet old face.

  • Scrutiny implies an act of vision to light a way ahead.

    Academic text (2007)
  • She came to light a candle, and she saw our car.

  • In conclusion, this paper brings to light several important features of subglottic carcinoma.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Antonio's face lights up as the passengers roar their approval and rush for the door.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • On the second morning, Percy Pigeon sailed out of the barn and lit on the post.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • As the sun began to set, the weary travelers lighted gently on the grassy hill to rest.

  • In the quiet of the evening, they lighted softly upon the surface of the still lake.

Synonyms

to get off
vsto light
932 2.5

To leave a vehicle or animal by stepping down

focuses on gentle descent and poetic tone rather than ordinary leaving
to get down
vsto light
127 3.5

To climb down from a horse or similar animal

expresses archaic poetic gentle settling rather than direct active action
to perch
vsto light
69 4.4

To sit or put something on a high narrow place

means gentle coming to rest rather than merely sitting on high spot
to dismount
vsto light
20 4.5

To get off a horse, bicycle, or vehicle

is more poetic and describes gentle settling rather than an active exit
to alight
vsto light
4 6.6

To come down and land after flying, like a bird on a branch

is archaic poetic and means gentle settling rather than active leaving

Antonyms

410 1.0

To move upward into the air, like smoke or mist

51 4.0

To move upward to a higher place, for example up a hill or into the sky

Idioms

to see the light
  • Informal
54 5.0

To understand something important and change for the better

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

Seen in a different way that shows new sides

out like a light
  • Informal
7 7.3

To fall asleep or become unconscious very quickly

5 3.4

Make a room feel happier and more lively

Make someone or something look bad to other people

4 5.6

Much more advanced than others in development and skill

4 5.1

Suddenly understand something when an idea appears in your mind

4 3.8

Make a room feel happy and friendly when someone arrives

3 6.0

A cheerful and friendly feeling among people

3 6.3

A person someone loves most and who makes them very happy

Dance in a lively, graceful way to music

A friendly, peaceful situation with no open arguments

A rude phrase that says a man seems feminine or gay

To make a flame with a match or lighter

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

light on the hill
  • Australian
1 8.7

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

1 4.8

Can move quickly and lightly like a dancer

To start something that quickly becomes exciting or causes strong debate

Look suddenly very happy and excited

Become covered in many bright lights for decoration

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

201 2.5

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

92 3.7

Make a fact or situation easier to understand

To help people understand something by explaining it

62 4.1

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

to light up
  • Informal
55 3.7

Become lively and cheerful because someone is there

To become known after being hidden

To switch a light so it stops shining

to shine light on
  • Literature
26 3.9

To show information people do not know

To show facts that were hidden before

to light up
  • Informal
22 4.6

Start smoking a cigarette or pipe

to shine a light on
  • Literature
15 4.1

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

12 6.7

To make someone want to work harder and faster

To take only a few small bags when you travel

Shine or sparkle when light hits them

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

3 9.9

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

To make the night sky bright with lights like fireworks

To find something by chance

1 4.1

To finish a task quickly and with little effort

To offer a flame to start a cigarette or candle

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

Compounds

light year
  • Specialized
121 5.0

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

88 1.8

A glass object that makes light when electricity passes through it

84 2.3

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

71 1.0

A red traffic light that tells cars and people to stop

light-year
  • Specialized
62 4.9

The distance light travels in one year

55 1.7

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

speed of light
  • Specialized
50 3.8

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

41 1.0

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

33 1.7

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

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

26 1.0

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

25 3.8

Light that contains all the colors you can see

23 2.4

Not dark in color, often pale like white

23 1.0

A pale brown color like dry sand in sunlight

20 2.5

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

19 3.5

A display of colored lights that move and change for entertainment

16 3.7

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

15 2.5

A narrow line of light from a lamp or the sun

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

14 3.0

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

14 2.2

Light that comes from the sun, not from lamps

light speed
  • Specialized
13 5.0

The speed that light travels in empty space

light year
  • Informal
13 4.1

A very large gap in progress or quality

13 2.6

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

12 2.1

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

ultraviolet light
  • Specialized
11 4.0

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

11 3.9

A gentle, brief contact made with little force

visible light
  • Specialized
11 3.4

Light that people can see, like sunlight or lamp light

strobe light
  • Specialized
10 3.7

A light that flashes quickly and regularly to make visual effects

light heavyweight
  • Specialized
10 3.5

A fighter in the weight class between middleweight and heavyweight

brake light
  • Specialized
9 2.2

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

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

A famous nickname for Paris that comes from its lights and art

pilot light
  • Specialized
8 3.8

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

8 1.0

A pale green color like fresh grass

8 6.1

An area of a city where many people sell sex

7 2.2

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

7 1.8

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

7 2.0

A narrow beam of light you can see shining through darkness

infrared light
  • Specialized
7 4.0

Light you cannot see that often feels warm

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

6 3.2

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

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

5 4.0

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

A phrase used to say something happens very fast

A bad way to show or talk about something

4 6.7

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

4 1.5

A gentle wind you feel on your face that moves leaves

running light
  • Specialized
4 5.8

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

Inner Light
  • Jargon
4 9.9

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

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

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

ray of light
  • Informal
3 3.4

Something or someone that brings hope during a difficult time

3 3.9

Poor lighting that makes it hard to see

3 2.0

A thin dairy product with about 18 percent fat used in cooking and on desserts

light work
  • Informal
2 1.0

An easy task that takes little effort

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

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

2 4.1

Warm yellow-orange light used to make a room or photo feel cosy

klieg light
  • Archaic
2 9.8

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

light time
  • Specialized
2 8.6

The time light or radio waves take to travel between two places

light intensity
  • Specialized
2 3.9

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

2 3.7

A small airplane used for private or hobby flying

2 1.0

A lamp that makes a room bright enough to see

light meter
  • Specialized
1 4.2

A small device that measures light to help set camera settings

1 5.3

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

1 3.2

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

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 3.9

A sudden time when you understand something clearly

1 3.7

A short, shallow sleep you wake up easily from

A small light bulb that uses little electricity and lasts longer

light machine gun
  • Specialized
1 4.9

An automatic gun that one soldier can carry and use

light hour
  • Specialized
1 8.1

The distance light travels in empty space in one hour, about one billion kilometers

How Gentle

to alight
4 6.6
to light
  • Archaic
6 9.9
to settle
729 2.8
to land
∞ 1.0
to descend
169 2.7

Surface Forms

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

Etymology

Light (verb) meaning 'to come down gently' is related to old words like alight that meant 'land' or 'get down'. That's why we can say a bird 'lighted' on a branch — it landed softly.