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light noun [ lʌɪt ]

• the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible.
• "the light of the sun"
Similar: illumination, brightness, luminescence, luminosity, shining, gleaming, gleam, brilliance, radiance, lustre, glowing, glow, blaze, glare, dazzle, incandescence, phosphorescence, sunlight, moonlight, starlight, lamplight, firelight, electric light, gaslight, ray of light, shaft of light, beam of light, effulgence, refulgence, lambency, fulguration, daylight, light of day, natural light, daylight hours, daytime, day, hours of sunlight,
Opposite: darkness, night-time,
• an expression in someone's eyes indicating a particular emotion or mood.
• "a shrewd light entered his eyes"
• understanding of a problem or mystery; enlightenment.
• "she saw light dawn on the woman's face"
Similar: aspect, angle, slant, approach, interpretation, viewpoint, standpoint, context, point of view, vantage point, appearance, guise, hue, complexion, understanding, enlightenment, illumination, comprehension, insight, awareness, knowledge, elucidation, explanation, clarification, edification,
Opposite: ignorance,
• an area of something that is brighter or paler than its surroundings.
• "sunshine will brighten the natural lights in your hair"
• a device used to produce a flame or spark.
• "he asked me for a light"
Similar: match, (cigarette) lighter, flame, spark, source of fire,
• a window or opening to let light in.
• "the bedroom has a wide bay with leaded lights"
• a person eminent in a particular sphere of activity.
• "volunteers have been the shining lights of the community"
Similar: expert, authority, master, leader, guru, leading light, guiding light, luminary, celebrity, dignitary, public figure, worthy, VIP, big name, star, bigwig, big gun, big shot, big noise, celeb,
• (in a crossword puzzle) a blank space to be filled by a letter.

light verb

• provide with light or lighting; illuminate.
• "the room was lit by a number of small lamps"
• make (something) start burning; ignite.
• "Allen gathered sticks and lit a fire"
Similar: set alight, set light to, set burning, set on fire, set fire to, put/set a match to, ignite, kindle, burn, spark (off), fire, touch off, start, torch, enkindle,
Opposite: extinguish, put out,

light adjective

• having a considerable or sufficient amount of natural light; not dark.
• "the bedrooms are light and airy"
Similar: bright, full of light, well lit, well lighted, well illuminated, sunny, sunshiny, undimmed, brilliant,
Opposite: dark, gloomy,
• (of a colour) pale.
• "her eyes were light blue"
Similar: light-coloured, light-toned, pale, pale-coloured, pastel, pastel-coloured, whitish, faded, faint, weak, bleached, fair, blonde, golden, flaxen, yellow,
Opposite: dark, brunette,
Origin: Old English lēoht, līht (noun and adjective), līhtan (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch licht and German Licht, from an Indo-European root shared by Greek leukos ‘white’ and Latin lux ‘light’.

light adjective

• of little weight; not heavy.
• "they are very light and portable"
Similar: easy to lift, not heavy, weighing very little, lightweight, easy to carry, portable, transportable, weightless, insubstantial, airy,
Opposite: heavy,
• not strongly or heavily built or made.
• "light, impractical clothes"
Similar: flimsy, lightweight, insubstantial, thin, delicate, floaty, gauzy, sheer, gossamer, diaphanous, transparent, translucent, see-through,
Opposite: heavy, thick,
• relatively low in density, amount, or intensity.
• "passenger traffic was light"
• (of food or a meal) small in quantity and easy to digest.
• "a light supper"
Similar: small, modest, scanty, simple, skimpy, frugal, not heavy, not rich, not large, easily digested, digestible,
Opposite: heavy, rich,
• gentle or delicate.
• "she planted a light kiss on his cheek"
Similar: gentle, delicate, soft, dainty, graceful, faint, indistinct,
Opposite: heavy,
• (of entertainment) requiring little mental effort; not profound or serious.
• "pop is thought of as light entertainment"
Similar: entertaining, lightweight, diverting, recreative, undemanding, easily understood, middle-of-the-road, amusing, humorous, funny, chucklesome, witty, light-hearted, frivolous, unserious, superficial, trivial, trifling,
Opposite: serious, deep,
• (of a woman) having many casual sexual encounters or relationships.
Origin: Old English lēocht, līht (noun), lēohte (adverb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch licht and German leicht, from an Indo-European root shared by lung.

light verb

• come upon or discover by chance.
• "he lit on a possible solution"
Similar: come across, chance on, hit on, happen on, stumble on/across, blunder on, find, discover, uncover, arrive at, encounter, think of, come up with,
• descend.
• "from the horse he lit down"
Origin: Old English līhtan (in light3 (sense 2); also ‘lessen the weight of’), from light2; compare with alight1.

bring to light

• make widely known or evident.
"an investigation to bring to light examples of extravagant expenditure"

come to light

• become widely known or evident.
"no new facts came to light"

go out like a light

• fall asleep or lose consciousness suddenly.
"she returned to bed and went out like a light"

in a — light

• so as to give a specified impression.
"the audit portrayed the company in a favourable light"

in light of

• taking (something) into consideration.
"the exorbitant prices are explainable in light of the facts"

light and shade

• the contrast between lighter and darker areas in a painting.

light at the end of the tunnel

• an indication that a long period of difficulty is nearing an end.
"it had been a hard struggle but I could see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel"

the light of day

• daylight.
"we sailed at the first light of day"

the light of one's life

• a much loved person.
"she was his only child, the light of his life"

the lights are on, but nobody's home

• used to suggest that a person lacks intelligence or awareness.
"looking into their eyes, it's a clear case of the lights are on, but nobody's home"

lights out

• bedtime in a school dormitory, military barracks, or other institution, when lights should be switched off.
"a few minutes before lights out"

punch someone's lights out

• beat someone up.
"the last time he called me that, I'd attempted to punch his lights out"

see the light

• understand or realize something after prolonged thought or doubt.
"he suddenly saw the light and realized he was going nowhere with United"

see the light of day

• be born.

throw light on

• help to explain (something) by providing further information about it.
"no one could shed any light on the mysterious car accident"

light up

• become bright on account of a light being shone or switched on; become illuminated.
"the sign to fasten seat belts lit up"

be light on

• be rather short of.
"we're light on fuel"

be light on one's feet

• (of a person) be quick or nimble.
"she may be plump but she is very light on her feet"

a light touch

• the ability to deal with something tactfully or in an understated way.
"a novel which handles its tricky subject with a light touch"

make light of

• treat as unimportant.
"I didn't mean to make light of your problems"

make light work of

• accomplish (a task) quickly and easily.
"make light work of cooking with the help of this electronic food processor"

travel light

• travel with a minimum load or minimum luggage.
"she's one of those backpackers who likes to travel light"

light into

• criticize someone severely; attack.
"he lit into him for his indiscretion"

light out

• depart hurriedly.
"he lit out for California to ‘find’ himself"

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