Light Definition & Meaning
light
- adverb
- with few burdens; "experienced travellers travel light"
- adjective
- of comparatively little physical weight or density; "a light load"; "magnesium is a light metal--having a specific gravity of 1.74 at 20 degrees C"
- (used of color) having a relatively small amount of coloring agent; "light blue"; "light colors such as pastels"; "a light-colored powder"
- of the military or industry; using (or being) relatively small or light arms or equipment; "light infantry"; "light cavalry"; "light industry"; "light weapons"
- not great in degree or quantity or number; "a light sentence"; "a light accent"; "casualties were light"; "light snow was falling"; "light misty rain"; "light smoke from the chimney"
- psychologically light; especially free from sadness or troubles; "a light heart"
- characterized by or emitting light; "a room that is light when the shutters are open"; "the inside of the house was airy and light"
- (used of vowels or syllables) pronounced with little or no stress; "a syllable that ends in a short vowel is a light syllable"; "a weak stress on the second syllable"
- easily assimilated in the alimentary canal; not rich or heavily seasoned; "a light diet"
- (used of soil) loose and large-grained in consistency; "light soil"
- (of sound or color) free from anything that dulls or dims; "efforts to obtain a clean bass in orchestral recordings"; "clear laughter like a waterfall"; "clear reds and blues"; "a light lilting voice like a silver bell"
- moving easily and quickly; nimble; "the dancer was light and graceful"; "a lightsome buoyant step"; "walked with a light tripping step"
- demanding little effort; not burdensome; "light housework"; "light exercise"
- of little intensity or power or force; "the light touch of her fingers"; "a light breeze"
- (physics, chemistry) not having atomic weight greater than average; "light water is ordinary water"
- weak and likely to lose consciousness; "suddenly felt faint from the pain"; "was sick and faint from hunger"; "felt light in the head"; "a swooning fit"; "light-headed with wine"; "light-headed from lack of sleep"
- very thin and insubstantial; "thin paper"; "light summer dresses"
- marked by temperance in indulgence; "abstemious with the use of adverbs"; "a light eater"; "a light smoker"; "ate a light supper"
- less than the correct or legal or full amount often deliberately so; "a light pound"; "a scant cup of sugar"; "regularly gives short weight"
- having little importance; "losing his job was no light matter"
- intended primarily as entertainment; not serious or profound; "light verse"; "a light comedy"
- silly or trivial; "idle pleasure"; "light banter"; "light idle chatter"
- designed for ease of movement or to carry little weight; "light aircraft"; "a light truck"
- having relatively few calories; "diet cola"; "light (or lite) beer"; "lite (or light) mayonnaise"; "a low-cal diet"
- (of sleep) easily disturbed; "in a light doze"; "a light sleeper"; "a restless wakeful night"
- casual and unrestrained in sexual behavior; "her easy virtue"; "he was told to avoid loose (or light) women"; "wanton behavior"
- noun
- (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation; "the light was filtered through a soft glass window"
- any device serving as a source of illumination; "he stopped the car and turned off the lights"
- a particular perspective or aspect of a situation; "although he saw it in a different light, he still did not understand"
- the quality of being luminous; emitting or reflecting light; "its luminosity is measured relative to that of our sun"
- an illuminated area; "he stepped into the light"
- a condition of spiritual awareness; divine illumination; "follow God's light"
- the visual effect of illumination on objects or scenes as created in pictures; "he could paint the lightest light and the darkest dark"
- a person regarded very fondly; "the light of my life"
- having abundant light or illumination; "they played as long as it was light"; "as long as the lighting was good"
- mental understanding as an enlightening experience; "he finally saw the light"; "can you shed light on this problem?"
- merriment expressed by a brightness or gleam or animation of countenance; "he had a sparkle in his eye"; "there's a perpetual twinkle in his eyes"
- public awareness; "it brought the scandal to light"
- a divine presence believed by Quakers to enlighten and guide the soul
- a visual warning signal; "they saw the light of the beacon"; "there was a light at every corner"
- a device for lighting or igniting fuel or charges or fires; "do you have a light?"
- verb
- make lighter or brighter; "This lamp lightens the room a bit"
- begin to smoke; "After the meal, some of the diners lit up"
- to come to rest, settle; "Misfortune lighted upon him"
- cause to start burning; subject to fire or great heat; "Great heat can ignite almost any dry matter"; "Light a cigarette"
- fall to somebody by assignment or lot; "The task fell to me"; "It fell to me to notify the parents of the victims"
- alight from (a horse)
"Light" in song lyrics
See how light is used in real songs:
-
"So we are not able to see the light"
2 Live Crew — Revelation -
"Singing these golden songs of light"
2Mex — Alive-a-Cation -
"Attempt sacrificion after life, after light"
2Mex — It Will
Words that rhyme with light
Usage tips for "light"
Understanding the precise definition of a word helps you use it with confidence. When using "light" in your writing, consider whether you need the word itself or one of its synonyms — subtle differences in meaning can change the tone of a sentence. If you're writing poetry or song lyrics, check the rhymes for light to find words that pair well.