light-bulb moment
1
3.9
- noun
- /ˈlaɪtˌbʌlb ˈmoʊmənt/
- Informal
:
momento de iluminación
- During the brainstorming session, several team members experienced a light-bulb moment that led to an innovative idea.
- light-bulb moment came
I think I just had like a whole like light bulb moment.
- I think I just had like a whole like light bulb moment.
- And this is where the biggest light bulb moment of the century goes off in this guy's head.
- There was no specific light bulb moment that really flipped things over for me.
- But when does the light bulb moment of like, I'm going to now take what I'm learning about food and make it an offering for other people?
- And they're like these light bulb moments like, Oh my God, you know.
- But I realised that there was a, there was a light bulb moment.
- So that was the light bulb moment for Olio and took me off on this crazy roller coaster ride.
- And it's just, you know, takes maybe watching certain things or reading certain things to just kind of like have that like light bulb moment for yourself.
- Well, after being on the show with you, I, you know, you get that light bulb moment and I realized I'm like everything I just said and what I discussed with you.
Examples
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So that was the light bulb moment for Olio and took me off on this crazy roller coaster ride.
-
After struggling with the math problem for hours, she finally had a light-bulb moment that helped her understand the solution.
-
May I ask again what your light bulb moment was for creating this book?
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The real big light bulb moment came when I read the book Blue Ocean Strategy.
-
Suddenly, I had a light-bulb moment.
Blog text (12) -
There was no specific light bulb moment that really flipped things over for me.
-
Wiggs' workshop was a light-bulb moment for me.
Academic text (2010) -
I'm sure we've all witnessed our students have these "light bulb moments" when they make a connection between different subject areas.
Academic text (2015) -
The videos are short, they're very succinct and they give them that light bulb moment of oh, I could do that.
-
The teacher called it a light-bulb moment when the students finally grasped the concept after weeks of discussion.
Synonyms
54
4.4
A new understanding that makes you see things differently
52
6.6
A sudden clear idea that gives you new understanding
12
5.5
A sudden moment when you understand or discover something
5
4.1
A sudden moment when you clearly understand something after confusion
2
5.1
A sudden clever idea that solves a problem
Antonyms
243
1.6
When someone does not understand something correctly and this causes a problem
How Clear
Surface Forms
Morphology
light-bulb + moment
The meaning 'sudden realization' is metaphorically derived from the image of a light bulb switching on (illumination of understanding) combined with 'moment'. Because this is a figurative mapping rather than a strictly compositional meaning, a B1 learner who knows the parts may often guess the sense but not reliably without familiarity, so it is partially transparent.
Etymology
Light-bulb moment comes from a common picture of a light-bulb turning on above someone's head when they get an idea, like in cartoons. So it means 'a sudden realization' when something suddenly becomes clear.