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limelight

limelight

40 4.5
Public attention when someone is the center of interest
  • noun
  • /ˈlaɪmˌlaɪt/
translation icon : protagonismo
  • I'm right here in the limelight.
  • enjoy the limelight
  • thrust into the limelight
  • avoid the limelight

And, and I'm, I, I love sharing the, the limelight with my fellow MacArthur.

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Examples

  • Both men enjoyed the limelight and were thrilled with the public's renewed focus on the Mafia.

    Academic text (2015)
  • How does it feel to be in the limelight?

  • I was nine years old when I got my first real taste of the limelight.

  • Clearly, you always had a love of the limelight, but what's going on here?

  • Share a little of the limelight with your teammates.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • The once media-shy prince found himself thrust into the limelight as never before.

  • Third, the discovery of oil in the region catapulted it into the limelight of international affairs.

    Academic text (1992)
  • All his life he'd wanted the limelight, to be a celebrity.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • It is precisely because she doesn't crave the limelight that people love her!

  • After years of hard work, she finally found herself in the limelight at the award ceremony.

Synonyms

profile
vslimelight
266 3.9

The level of public attention a person or group receives

implies being the central focus of interest rather than a general level
spotlight
vslimelight
208 3.5

Public attention focused on a person or issue

is the more general name for public attention and interest
high profile
vslimelight
130 3.6

A job or position that gets a lot of public attention

refers more to being the actual centre of that attention
exposure
vslimelight
88 3.9

Making a secret or hidden thing known to people

focuses on being the centre of public interest rather than the act of disclosure
publicity
vslimelight
88 3.4

Being open so the public can see or attend

means being the centre of public attention rather than just being visible
public eye
vslimelight
56 4.0

Being watched or noticed by many people

stresses being the central point of public interest rather than just noticed
visibility
vslimelight
46 3.4

How much a person or thing is noticed by many people

denotes being the central subject of public attention rather than mere notice
in the spotlight
vslimelight
45 3.7

A person or thing that gets attention from many people

is the single noun term used for being the central focus
prominence
vslimelight
40 5.6

A state of being important and easily noticed

focuses more on being the exact centre of public interest
media attention
vslimelight
  • Literature
37 2.4

Notice or interest from newspapers, TV, and websites

covers public attention from any source, not only media coverage
in the public eye
vslimelight
36 3.7

Seen and talked about by many people

emphasizes being the central focus of attention rather than general fame
in the limelight
vslimelight
12 5.5

Getting a lot of public attention

is the shorter noun form rather than the full phrase
glare
vslimelight
  • Literature
11 4.9

Strong public attention that makes someone feel watched

is broader, meaning general public attention and interest rather than harsh scrutiny
notability
vslimelight
1 5.8

Being well known

describes being the centre of active public interest rather than inherent fame

Antonyms

33 7.4

A time when a person or thing is unknown and not noticed

Idioms

Getting a lot of public attention

How Famous

fame
439 1.0
limelight
40 4.5
spotlight
208 3.5

Surface Forms

limelight singular
limelights plural

Morphology

limelight = lime + light (opaque) = lime + light

The original compound meaning 'light produced using lime' is partly interpretable, but it depends on knowing the specialized older sense of 'lime' and the historical lighting technology.

Etymology

Limelight originally referred to a bright stage light made by heating lime, a white material, to make a very strong light. Actors stood in that light and drew the audience's eyes, so to be 'in the limelight' means to have public attention.