noun

light

lyt

noun

Brightness that lets people see, from the sun, a lamp, or fire.

"She switched on the light so she could read."

"There wasn't enough light to read by."

A source of illumination, such as a lamp or bulb.

"Turn off the lights before you leave."

"Can you switch off the lights before bed?"

verb

To set something burning.

"He lit the candles on the cake."

"She lit a match to check the fuse box."

To illuminate; to provide light for.

"Streetlamps light the whole avenue at night."

"The lamp lights up the whole corner of the room."

adj

Not heavy; weighing little.

"This laptop is impressively light for its size."

"He travels light, with just one small bag."

Pale in colour.

"She painted the walls a light blue."

"The sky turned a light shade of orange at sunset."

Not serious or intense; gentle.

"It was just light rain, so we didn't need umbrellas."

"It's just a light drizzle — you won't need a coat."

How to Use Light

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishBrightness that lets you see — or, as an adjective, not heavy, pale, or gentle.

Common pairings

turn on the light travel light a light breeze

Word Forms

lighter comparative, lighter comparative, lighter comparative, lit past tense, lighted past tense, light past tense, lighted past tense, lit past tense, lighted past tense, light past tense, lights plural, lights plural, lights singular, lights singular, lights singular, lightest superlative, lightest superlative, lightest superlative

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Can you complete this real example?

She switched on the _____ so she could read.

Etymology

From Old English lēoht, from a very old root meaning "to shine" shared across most European languages.

Synonyms

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visible light luminance radiation with milk with cream ablaze coruscating dazzling effulgent flashy gleaming glowing

Antonyms

darkness T-ray alpha ray X-ray beta ray gamma ray infrared longwave

Related Words

ablaze gleaming dark active darkness conspicuous infrared shining

Rhymes for light

ight eight night right fight might tight sight aught wight ought knight

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visible light luminance radiation with milk with cream ablaze coruscating dazzling effulgent flashy gleaming glowing