light
noun · verb · adjective · adverb
Simple meaning
The brightness from the sun, a lamp or fire that lets us see; also not heavy.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
lytIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈlaɪt
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
Any device serving as a source of illumination
“He stopped the car and turned off the lights.”
The visual effect of illumination on objects or scenes as created in pictures
“He could paint the lightest light and the darkest dark.”
A lightbulb or similar light-emitting device, regardless of whether it is lit.
physicsuncountable
Electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range visible to the human eye (about 400–750 nanometers): visible light.
by extension
Electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range visible to the human eye or in nearby ranges (infrared or ultraviolet radiation).
physics
Electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation
“The light was filtered through a soft glass window.”
verb
transitive
To start (a fire).
transitive
To set fire to; to set burning.
To attend or conduct with a light; to show the way to by means of a light.
intransitive
To become ignited; to take fire.
To stop upon (of eyes or a glance); to notice
To find by chance.
adjective
Having light; bright; clear; not dark or obscure.
Pale or whitish in color; highly luminous and more or less deficient in chroma.
of coffee
Served with extra milk or cream.
Having little or relatively little actual weight; not heavy; not cumbrous or unwieldy.
Having little weight as compared with bulk; of little density or specific gravity.
Lightly built; typically designed for speed or small loads.
adverb
Carrying little.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A1 · Beginner
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The visual effect of illumination on objects or scenes as created in pictures
Used this way, light is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“He could paint the lightest light and the darkest dark.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
How It’s Used
The word’s distinct uses, one example each.
Electromagneticnoun
“The light was filtered through a soft glass window.”
Devicenoun
“He stopped the car and turned off the lights.”
Visualnoun
“He could paint the lightest light and the darkest dark.”
More ways to use light
- “He stopped the car and turned off the lights.”noun
- “The light was filtered through a soft glass window.”noun
- “Although he saw it in a different light, he still did not understand.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
Having abundant light or illumination.
A substance used to ignite or kindle a fire.
Set afire or burning.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
A feeling of joy and pride.
Without good reason.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Cream that has at least 18% butterfat.
Diet prescribed for bedridden or convalescent people.
Not designed for heavy work.
Diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current.
A transparent filter that reduces the light (or some wavelengths of the light) passing through it.
An amateur boxer who weighs no more than 106 pounds.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
Abrupt electric discharge from cloud to cloud or from cloud to earth accompanied by the emission of light.
A tower with a light that gives warning of shoals to passing ships.
Electric lamp consisting of a transparent or translucent glass housing containing a wire filament (usually tungsten) that emits light when heated by electricity.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Antonyms
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What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Related Learning
Guides that use this word in context.
Writing
Words for Describing Light
A practical vocabulary of light-related words for writers, covering brightness, softness, and colour, with meanings and examples.
Grammar
Noun, Verb, Adjective or Adverb? How to Tell the Difference
A plain-English guide to the four main parts of speech, with real sentences, word-family clues and practice so you can identify any word by the job it does.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.