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light . In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
light , but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
light in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
light you have here. The definition of the word
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English
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Pronunciation
Etymology 1
A city illuminated by colorful artificial lighting at night
From Middle English light , liht , leoht , from Old English lēoht , from Proto-West Germanic *leuht , from Proto-Germanic *leuhtą , from Proto-Indo-European *lewktom , from the root *lewk- ( “ light ” ) .
Noun
light (countable and uncountable , plural lights )
( physics , uncountable ) Electromagnetic radiation in the wavelength range visible to the human eye (about 400–750 nanometers ); visible light .
As you can see, this spacious dining-room gets a lot of light in the mornings.
1897 December (indicated as 1898 ), Winston Churchill , chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode , New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company ; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd. , →OCLC :Then came a maid with hand-bag and shawls, and after her a tall young lady. She stood for a moment holding her skirt above the grimy steps, [ …] , and the light of the reflector fell full upon her.
2013 July 20, “Out of the gloom ”, in The Economist , volume 408 , number 8845 :[Rural solar plant] schemes are of little help to industry or other heavy users of electricity. Nor is solar power yet as cheap as the grid. For all that, the rapid arrival of electric light to Indian villages is long overdue. When the national grid suffers its next huge outage, as it did in July 2012 when hundreds of millions were left in the dark, look for specks of light in the villages.
2016 , VOA Learning English (public domain)
When the studio light is on, I am recording my evening show.
( by extension ) Infrared or ultraviolet radiation.
( countable ) A source of illumination .
Put that light out!
1918 , W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell , chapter V, in The Mirror and the Lamp , Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company , →OCLC :He was thinking; but the glory of the song, the swell from the great organ, the clustered lights , [ …] , the height and vastness of this noble fane, its antiquity and its strength—all these things seemed to have their part as causes of the thrilling emotion that accompanied his thoughts.
A lightbulb or similar light-emitting device , regardless of whether it is lit.
We turned off all the lights and went to sleep.
2016 August 7, Jameson Rich, “The Shirt Stays On”, in The New York Times , New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company , →ISSN , →OCLC , archived from the original on 2022-11-25 :The ceiling lights were off, but I knew the narrow light spilling from the lamp on my bureau would be enough for her to see the pale red marks on my chest, which had been fading for so long they had gone back to being shiny again.
A traffic light , or ( by extension ) an intersection controlled by traffic lights.
To get to our house, turn right at the third light .
( figurative ) Spiritual or mental illumination; enlightenment, useful information.
Can you throw any light on this problem?
c. 1590–1591 (date written) , William Shakespeare , “The Two Gentlemen of Verona ”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio ), London: Isaac Iaggard , and Ed Blount , published 1623 , →OCLC , :He shall never know / That I had any light of this from thee.
( in the plural , now rare ) Facts; pieces of information; ideas , concepts .
1624 , Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton ], The Anatomy of Melancholy: , 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC :Now these notions are twofold, actions or habits [ …] , which are durable lights and notions, which we may use when we will.
A notable person within a specific field or discipline.
Picasso was one of the leading lights of the cubist movement.
( painting ) The manner in which the light strikes a picture; that part of a picture which represents those objects upon which the light is supposed to fall; the more illuminated part of a landscape or other scene; opposed to shade .
A point of view, or aspect from which a concept, person or thing is regarded.
I'm really seeing you in a different light today.
Magoon's governorship in Cuba was viewed in a negative light by many Cuban historians for years thereafter.
1692–1717 , Robert South , “Why Christ’s Doctrine was Rejected by the Jews”, in Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions , volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI) , London:Frequent consideration of a thing [ …] shows it in its several lights and various ways of appearance.
1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison , Cato, a Tragedy. , London: J Tonson , , published 1713 , →OCLC , Act I, scene i, page 1 :Thy ſteddy Temper, Portius , Can look on Guilt, Rebellion, Fraud, and Cæſar , In the calm Lights of mild Philoſophy; [ …]
1943 November – 1944 February (date written; published 1945 August 17), George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], Animal Farm , London: Secker & Warburg , published May 1962 , →OCLC :Now if there was one thing that the animals were completely certain of, it was that they did not want Jones back. When it was put to them in this light , they had no more to say.
A flame or something used to create fire.
1913 , Arthur Conan Doyle, “(please specify the page) ”, in The Poison Belt , London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton , →OCLC :"There will, I expect, be many such - possibly whole cities in flames - when we consider how many folk may have dropped with lights in their hands."
( slang ) A cigarette lighter .
Hey, buddy, you got a light ?
A firework made by filling a case with a substance which burns brilliantly with a white or coloured flame.
A window in architecture, carriage design, or motor car design: either the opening itself or the window pane of glass that fills it, if any.
This facade has eight south-facing light s.
Hyponyms: backlight , sidelight , transom
The series of squares reserved for the answer to a crossword clue .
The average length of a light on a 15×15 grid is 7 or 8.
( informal ) A cross-light in a double acrostic or triple acrostic .
Open view; a visible state or condition; public observation; publicity.
c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure ”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio ), London: Isaac Iaggard , and Ed Blount , published 1623 , →OCLC , :The duke yet would have dark deeds darkly answered; he would never bring them to light .
The power of perception by vision.
The brightness of the eye or eyes.
c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke ”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio ), London: Isaac Iaggard , and Ed Blount , published 1623 , →OCLC , :He seemed to find his way without his eyes; / For out o'door he went without their helps, / And, to the last, bended their light on me.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Derived terms
Descendants
→ Gulf Arabic: ليت ( lēt )
→ Farefare: laatɩ
Sranan Tongo: leti
Translations
References
Etymology 2
From Middle English lighten , lihten , from Old English līehtan ( “ to light, to shine ” ) , from Proto-Germanic *liuhtijaną , from *leuhtą + *-janą . Cognate with German leuchten ( “ to shine ” ) .
Verb
light (third-person singular simple present lights , present participle lighting , simple past and past participle lit or lighted or ( obsolete ) light )
( transitive ) To start (a fire ).
Synonym: set
Antonyms: extinguish , put out , quench
We lit the fire to get some heat.
( transitive ) To set fire to; to set burning.
Synonyms: ignite , kindle , conflagrate
Antonyms: extinguish , put out , quench
She lit her last match.
1627 , G[eorge] H[akewill ], An Apologie of the Power and Prouidence of God in the Gouernment of the World. , Oxford, Oxfordshire: Iohn Lichfield and William Turner, , →OCLC :if a thousand candles be all lighted from one
( transitive ) To illuminate ; to provide light for when it is dark.
Synonyms: illuminate , light up
I used my torch to light the way home through the woods in the night.
19th century' , Frederic Harrison , The Fortnightly Review
One hundred years ago, to have lit this theatre as brilliantly as it is now lighted would have cost, I suppose, fifty pounds.
1700 , [John] Dryden , “The Flower and the Leaf: Or, The Lady in the Arbour. A Vision. ”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; , London: Jacob Tonson , , →OCLC :The Sun has set, and Vesper, to supply / His absent beams, had lighted up the sky.
( intransitive ) To become ignited; to take fire.
Synonyms: catch fire , ignite , conflagrate
This soggy match will not light .
To attend or conduct with a light; to show the way to by means of a light.
( transitive , pinball ) To make (a bonus) available to be collected by hitting a target , and thus light up the feature light corresponding to that bonus to indicate its availability.
Light the extra ball by amassing 500 million points in the wizard mode.
Derived terms
Translations
to start (a fire)
Afrikaans: aansteek
Arabic: أَشْعَلَ ( ʔašʕala ) , أَوْقَدَ ( ʔawqada )
Armenian: վառել (hy) ( vaṙel )
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܛܲܦܹܐ ( ṭāpe )
Basque: piztu (eu) , isiotu
Belarusian: запа́льваць impf ( zapálʹvacʹ ) , запалі́ць pf ( zapalícʹ )
Bulgarian: запалвам (bg) ( zapalvam ) , паля (bg) ( palja )
Burmese: မီးထွန်း (my) ( mi:htwan: )
Catalan: encendre (ca)
Chickasaw: ooti
Chinese:
Hokkien: 點火 / 点火 ( tiám-hóe, tiám-hé )
Mandarin: 點火 / 点火 (zh) ( diǎnhuǒ ) , 點燃 / 点燃 (zh) ( diǎnrán )
Czech: zapálit (cs)
Danish: antænde , tænde (da)
Dutch: aansteken (nl)
Esperanto: ekbruligi , fajrigi
Estonian: süütama (et) , läitma
Finnish: sytyttää (fi)
French: allumer (fr)
Galician: prender (gl) , acender (gl)
German: anzünden (de) , anstecken (de) , anmachen (de)
Middle High German: enzünden
Greek: ανάβω (el) ( anávo )
Ancient: ἅπτω ( háptō ) , αἴθω ( aíthō )
Hebrew: הדליק ( hidlík ) , הצית ( hitsít ) , הבעיר ( hevʾír )
Hindi: जलाना (hi) ( jalānā ) , प्रज्वलन (hi) ( prajvalan )
Hungarian: gyújt (hu) , meggyújt (hu) , felgyújt (hu)
Icelandic: kveikja (is)
Ido: acendar (io)
Ingrian: virittää , syttää , sytyttää
Irish: las
Italian: accendere (it)
Japanese: 引火する (ja) ( いんかする, inka-suru ) , 点火する (ja) ( てんかする, tenka-suru )
Khmer: អុចភ្លើង ( oc pləəŋ )
Korean: 불 붙이다 ( bulbuchida ) , 불 을 지르다 ( bur-eul jireuda ) , 점화(點火)하다 ( jeomhwahada ) , 인화(引火)하다 ( inhwahada )
Kurdish:
Northern Kurdish: (please verify ) agir vêxistin
Lao: ໄຕ້ ( tai )
Latgalian: aizdegt
Latin: accendō (la) , incendeō
Latvian: aizdedzināt , aizdegt , iedegt , uzdegt
Lithuanian: uždegti
Malayalam: കത്തിയ്ക്കുക ( kattiykkuka )
Maori: raiti
Mizo: häl , tialh , ṭankai
Neapolitan: abbiccià
Ngazidja Comorian: upatsa , uvuza (in order to cook)
Norman: alleunmer
Norwegian: tenne (no)
Occitan: alucar (oc)
Old English: ǣlan
Old Portuguese: acender
Persian: افروختن (fa) ( afrôxtan ) , روشن کردن (fa) ( rowšan kardan ) , درگیرانیدن ( dargirânidan )
Polish: rozpalić (pl) , zapalić (pl)
Portuguese: acender (pt)
Romanian: aprinde (ro)
Russian: зажига́ть (ru) impf ( zažigátʹ ) , заже́чь (ru) pf ( zažéčʹ ) , разжига́ть (ru) impf ( razžigátʹ ) , разже́чь (ru) pf ( razžéčʹ )
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: запалити , упалити
Roman: zapaliti (sh) , upaliti (sh)
Slovak: zapáliť , zažať
Slovene: prižgati
Spanish: encender (es) , acender (es) ( obsolete ) , fogarizar (es)
Swedish: tända (sv)
Tagalog: liwanag (tl) , ilawan
Telugu: అంటించు (te) ( aṇṭiñcu )
Thai: จุด (th) ( jùt )
Tok Pisin: lait , kamapim
Turkish: yakmak (tr)
Ukrainian: запа́лювати impf ( zapáljuvaty ) , запали́ти pf ( zapalýty )
Venetan: inpiẑar , inpiar (vec)
Vietnamese: đốt (vi) , thắp (vi) , châm (vi) , nhóm (vi)
Walloon: esprinde (wa) , aloumer (wa) , atoker (wa)
Welsh: cynnau (cy)
Yiddish: צינדן ( tsindn ) , אָנצינדן ( ontsindn )
Zazaki: wekerden , rosn kerden
ǃXóõ: ʘʻáa
to illuminate
Afrikaans: skyn , belig
Arabic: أَضَاءَ ( ʔaḍāʔa )
Armenian: լուսավորել (hy) ( lusavorel )
Aromanian: lunjinedz
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܒܵܗܹܪ ( baher )
Basque: argitu , argiztatu
Bulgarian: осветявам (bg) ( osvetjavam )
Catalan: encendre (ca) , il·luminar (ca)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 照明 (zh) ( zhàomíng )
Czech: osvětlit , osvítit
Dalmatian: luminur
Danish: belyse , oplyse (da)
Dutch: lichten (nl) , bijlichten (nl)
Esperanto: lumigi
Finnish: valaista (fi)
French: allumer (fr) , illuminer (fr)
German: beleuchten (de) , anstrahlen (de)
Greek: φωτίζω (el) ( fotízo )
Ancient: φωτίζω ( phōtízō )
Hebrew: האיר (he) ( he'ír )
Hindi: प्रकाश (hi) m ( prakāś ) , उजाला (hi) m ( ujālā )
Hungarian: világít (hu) , megvilágít (hu) , bevilágít (hu) , ( fénnyel ) eláraszt (hu) ( poetic )
Icelandic: lýsa
Ido: lumizar (io)
Igbo: cha
Irish: las
Italian: illuminare (it)
Japanese: 照らす (ja) ( てらす, terasu )
Korean: 불 켜다 ( bulkyeoda ) , 밝히다 (ko) ( balkida ) , 비추다 (ko) ( bichuda )
Kurdish:
Northern Kurdish: (please verify ) ron kirin
Latin: illuminare
Latvian: apgaismot , izgaismot
Ligurian: illüminò
Lithuanian: apšviesti
Malayalam: പ്രകാശിയ്ക്കുക ( prakāśiykkuka )
Mirandese: alhumbrar
Mizo: èn , tiëng
Norman: alleunmer
Norwegian: opplyse (no)
Old English: līehtan
Persian: افروختن (fa) ( afrôxtan ) , روشن کردن (fa) ( rowšan kardan )
Polish: oświetlić (pl) , iluminować
Portuguese: iluminar (pt)
Romanian: lumina (ro) , ilumina (ro)
Russian: освеща́ть (ru) impf ( osveščátʹ ) , освети́ть (ru) pf ( osvetítʹ )
Serbo-Croatian: osvijetliti (sh)
Slovak: svietiť
Slovene: osvetliti
Spanish: iluminar (es) , aluzar (es) , alumbrar (es)
Swedish: belysa (sv) , lysa upp
Telugu: ప్రకాశింపజేయు (te) ( prakāśimpajēyu )
Thai: ส่อง (th) ( sɔ̀ng ) , เรือง (th) ( rʉʉang )
Turkish: aydınlatmak (tr)
Vietnamese: (please verify ) chiếu sáng (vi) , (please verify ) rọi sáng , (please verify ) soi sáng (vi)
Welsh: goleuo (cy)
Zazaki: rosn kerden , rosn kerden
Translations to be checked
Etymology 3
From Middle English light , liht , leoht , from Old English lēoht ( “ luminous, bright, light, clear, resplendent, renowned, beautiful ” ) , from Proto-Germanic *leuhtaz ( “ light ” ) , from Proto-Indo-European *lewk- ( “ light ” ) . Cognate with Saterland Frisian ljoacht ( “ light ” ) , Dutch licht , German licht .
Adjective
light (comparative lighter , superlative lightest )
A light -skinned black person.
Having light; bright ; clear ; not dark or obscure .
The room is light when the Sun shines through the window.
2023 March 22, Philip Haigh, “Five configuration stages to boost Manchester rail capacity”, in RAIL , number 979 , page 31 :Historic England explained the listing: "The station's unique design employs a high level of sophistication and innovation through its use of conoid shells supported on a cruck-like frame, which not only create a dramatic aesthetic form, but endow the building with a light and spacious interior."
Pale or whitish in color ; highly luminous and more or less deficient in chroma .
She had light skin.
1913 , Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln , chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients , New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company , →OCLC :'Twas early June, the new grass was flourishing everywheres, the posies in the yard—peonies and such—in full bloom, the Sun was shining, and the water of the bay was blue, with light green streaks where the shoal showed.
( of coffee ) Served with extra milk or cream.
I like my coffee light .
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
having light
Afrikaans: lig (af) , helder
Arabic: مُنِيرٌ ( munīrun )
Bashkir: яҡты ( yaqtı )
Belarusian: све́тлы (be) ( svjétly )
Bengali: রওশন (bn) ( roōśon )
Bulgarian: све́тъл (bg) ( svétǎl )
Chinese:
Mandarin: 明亮的 (zh) ( míngliàng de ) , 光明的 (zh) ( guāngmíng de )
Czech: světlý (cs)
Danish: lys (da) , belyst , oplyst (da)
Dutch: licht (nl) , helder (nl) , lichtend (nl) , lichtgevend (nl) , lichtend (nl)
Esperanto: luma
Finnish: valoisa (fi)
French: lumineux (fr) m , lumineuse (fr) f
Galician: claro (gl) , luminoso (gl)
Georgian: ნათელი ( nateli )
German: erleuchtet (de) , hell (de)
Greek: φωτεινός (el) ( foteinós )
Hebrew: מואר m ( mu`ár ) , מוארת f ( mu`éret )
Hindi: उज्ज्वलित (hi) ( ujjvalit )
Hungarian: világos (hu) , fényes (hu)
Icelandic: bjart n , bjartur (is) m , björt f
Japanese: 明るい (ja) ( あかるい, akarui )
Khmer: ពន្លឺ (km) ( pʊənlɨɨ )
Korean: 밝다 (ko) ( bakda )
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: ڕوناک ( runak )
Northern Kurdish: ron (ku) , geş (ku)
Latin: clarus (la) , lucidus m
Latvian: gaišs
Lithuanian: šviesus
Macedonian: светол ( svetol )
Mizo: ëng
Norwegian: lyst (no) , opplyst (no) , belyst
Old Prussian: lāuks
Persian: روشن (fa) ( rowšan )
Polish: widny (pl) m , jasny (pl) m , świetlny (pl) , świetlisty (pl)
Portuguese: iluminado (pt)
Quechua: achik
Russian: све́тлый (ru) ( svétlyj ) , я́ркий (ru) ( járkij )
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: светао , свијетао
Roman: svetao (sh) , svijetao (sh)
Slovak: svetlý
Slovene: svetel (sl)
Spanish: luminoso (es) , claro (es) , lumínico (es)
Swahili: mwanga (sw)
Swedish: belyst (sv) , ljus (sv)
Tajik: равшан ( ravšan )
Telugu: కాంతి వంతము ( kānti vantamu )
Thai: สว่าง (th) ( sà-wàang )
Ukrainian: сві́тлий (uk) ( svítlyj )
Vietnamese: sáng (vi) , sáng sủa (vi)
Welsh: golau (cy)
Yiddish: ליכטיק ( likhtik )
pale in colour
Afrikaans: (please verify ) lig (af) , ( pale face ) (please verify ) bleek gesig , ( light complexion, pale skin ) (please verify ) blas vel
Armenian: բաց (hy) ( bacʻ )
Bulgarian: светъл (bg) ( svetǎl )
Catalan: clar (ca)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 浅色 (zh) ( qiǎnsè )
Czech: světlý (cs) m
Danish: lys (da) , bleg (da)
Dutch: licht (nl)
Finnish: vaalea (fi)
French: clair (fr) , pâle (fr)
Galician: claro (gl) , pálido (gl)
German: hell (de)
Greek: αχνός (el) ( achnós ) , ανοιχτός (el) ( anoichtós )
Hebrew: בהיר (he) m ( bahír ) , בהירה f ( behirá )
Hindi: हलका (hi) ( halkā ) , गोरा (hi) m ( gorā ) , गोरी (hi) f ( gorī )
Hungarian: világos (hu) , halvány (hu) , halovány (hu) ( literary/figurative ) , fakó (hu)
Icelandic: fölur (is) , ljós (is)
Ido: klara (io) , desobskura
Irish: geal- , bán- , éadrom
Italian: (please verify ) chiaro (it) m or f chiara
Korean: 창백(蒼白)하다 (ko) ( changbaekhada ) , 옅다 (ko) ( yeotda ) , 밝다 (ko) ( bakda )
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: کاڵ ( kall )
Northern Kurdish: (please verify ) geş (ku) , (please verify ) (rengê ) vebiye
Latvian: gaišs
Ligurian: ciæo
Lithuanian: šviesus
Mizo: ëng
Norwegian: lys (no) , blek (no)
Polish: jasny (pl)
Portuguese: clara (pt) f , claro (pt) m
Romansch: ( Rumantsch Grischun, Sutsilvan, Surmiran, Puter, Vallader ) cler , ( Sursilvan ) clar
Russian: бле́дный (ru) m ( blédnyj ) , све́тлый (ru) ( svétlyj )
Slovene: svetel (sl)
Spanish: claro (es) , pálido (es) m , blanquecino (es) m , blanquinoso m , blanquizco m , desblanquecido m , blancuzco m , desblanquiñado m , albarizo (es) m , blancazo m
Swahili: mwanga (sw)
Swedish: blek (sv) , ljus (sv)
Telugu: పాలిపోవు (te) ( pālipōvu )
Thai: อ่อน (th) ( ɔ̀ɔn )
Turkish: soluk (tr) , açık (tr)
Ukrainian: сві́тлий (uk) ( svítlyj )
Vietnamese: nhạt (vi)
Volapük: klilik (vo) , paelik (vo)
Welsh: golau (cy)
Etymology 4
From Old English lēoht , līht , from Proto-West Germanic *lį̄ht , from Proto-Germanic *linhtaz or *līhtaz , from Proto-Indo-European *h₁lengʷʰ- ( “ light ” ) .
Cognate with Dutch licht , German leicht , Swedish lätt , Norwegian lett , Albanian lehtë , Latin levis , Russian лёгкий ( ljóxkij ) , Lithuanian lengvas , Sanskrit लघु ( laghu ) , Persian لاغر (lāghar).
Adjective
light (comparative lighter , superlative lightest )
Having little or relatively little actual weight ; not cumbrous or unwieldy .
a light load ; a lighter backpack after having removed the books ; light weapons
1712 September 1 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison ; Richard Steele et al. ], “THURSDAY, August 21, 1712”, in The Spectator , number 463 ; republished in Alexander Chalmers , editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, , volume V, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company , 1853 , →OCLC :These weights did not exert their natural gravity [ …] insomuch that I could not guess which was light or heavy whilst I held them in my hand.
Having little weight as compared with bulk ; of little density or specific gravity .
feathers and cork are light ; oil is lighter than water
Of short or insufficient weight; weighing less than the legal , standard , or proper amount; clipped or diminished .
to issue light coin
Lacking that which burdens or makes heavy.
Free from burden or impediment ; unencumbered .
Lightly built; typically designed for speed or small loads.
a light aircraft ; a light tank
( military ) Not heavily armed ; armed with light weapons .
light infantry; a troop of light horse
( nautical , of a ship ) Riding high because of no cargo ; by extension, pertaining to a ship which is light.
if a ship is light or partially loaded ; the light draft of a vessel, or its light displacement
( rail transport , of a locomotive or consist of locomotives) Without any piece of equipment attached or attached only to a caboose .
the light locomotives ; a locomotive may be moved light
1951 January, R. A. H. Weight, “A Railway Recorder in Essex and Hertfordshire”, in Railway Magazine , page 44 :On that August Thursday afternoon, there was little freight traffic; a large "K3" Mogul went down with a short, fast goods, and a W.D. 2-8-0 proceeded northward light .
With low viscosity .
( cooking ) Not heavy or soggy ; spongy ; well raised .
a light bread ; sponge cake is a light cake
Low in fat, calories, alcohol, salt, etc.
This light beer still gets you drunk if you have enough of it.
Slight , not forceful or intense; small in amount or intensity.
a light drizzle ; a light rain was falling ; a light snow set in
Gentle; having little force or momentum.
This artist clearly had a light , flowing touch.
Easy to endure or perform.
light duties around the house
1697 , Virgil , “Palamon and Arcite”, in John Dryden , transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. , London: Jacob Tonson , , →OCLC :Light sufferings give us leisure to complain.
Unimportant, trivial , having little value or significance.
I made some light comment, and we moved on.
1902 , John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide :He had drunk more than was fit for him, and he was singing some light song, when he saw approaching, as he said, the pale horse mentioned in the Revelation, with Death seated as the rider.
( obsolete ) Unchaste , wanton .
c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Loues Labour’s Lost ”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio ), London: Isaac Iaggard , and Ed Blount , published 1623 , →OCLC , :So do not you; for you are a light girl.
c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice ”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio ), London: Isaac Iaggard , and Ed Blount , published 1623 , →OCLC , :A light wife doth make a heavy husband.
Not encumbered; unembarrassed; clear of impediments; hence, active; nimble; swift.
1625 , Francis [Bacon] , “Of Marriage and Single Life”, in The Essayes , 3rd edition, London: Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC :Unmarried men are best friends, best masters [ …] but not always best subjects, for they are light to run away.
( dated ) Easily influenced by trifling considerations; unsteady; unsettled; volatile.
a light , vain person; a light mind
1633 , John Tillotson , The Wisdom of being Religious :There is no greater argument of a light and inconsiderate person than profanely to scoff at religion.
Indulging in, or inclined to, levity; lacking dignity or solemnity; frivolous; airy.
Ogden Nash was a writer of light verse.
c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke ”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio ), London: Isaac Iaggard , and Ed Blount , published 1623 , →OCLC , :Seneca can not be too heavy, nor Plautus too light .
1851 , Nathaniel Hawthorne , Old News :specimens of New England humour laboriously light and lamentably mirthful
Not quite sound or normal; somewhat impaired or deranged; dizzy; giddy.
c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice ”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio ), London: Isaac Iaggard , and Ed Blount , published 1623 , →OCLC , :Are his wits safe? Is he not light of brain?
Easily interrupted by stimulation.
light sleep; light anesthesia
Cheerful .
Synonyms
Antonyms
( antonym(s) of “ of little weight ” ) : heavy , weighty , burdensome
( antonym(s) of “ lightly-built ” ) : cumbersome , heavyweight , massive
( antonym(s) of “ having little force or momentum ” ) : forceful , heavy , strong
( antonym(s) of “ low in fat, calories, etc ” ) : calorific ( high in calories ) , fatty ( high in fat ) , strong ( high in alcohol )
( antonym(s) of “ having little value or significance ” ) : crucial , important , weighty
Derived terms
Translations
of low weight
Abkhaz: алас ( alas )
Ahom: 𑜉𑜨𑜧 ( mow )
Arabic: خَفِيف ( ḵafīf )
Moroccan Arabic: خفيف ( ḵfīf )
South Levantine Arabic: خفيف ( ḵafīf )
Aragonese: lixero
Armenian: թեթև (hy) ( tʻetʻew )
Aromanian: lishor , licshor , ljiushor
Assamese: পাতল ( patol )
Asturian: llivianu
Avar: тӏадагьаб ( tʼadahab )
Azerbaijani: yüngül (az)
Belarusian: лёгкі (be) ( ljóhki )
Bulgarian: лек (bg) ( lek )
Catalan: lleuger (ca)
Cebuano: gaan
Chechen: дай ( daj )
Chepang: खुय्ङःमै
Chinese:
Cantonese: 輕 / 轻 ( heng1 )
Mandarin: 輕 / 轻 (zh) ( qīng )
Chinook Jargon: wik-tʰil
Czech: lehký (cs)
Danish: let (da)
Dutch: licht (nl)
Esperanto: malpeza (eo) , leĝera
Evenki: энимкун ( əņimkun )
Faroese: lættur
Finnish: kevyt (fi)
French: léger (fr)
Friulian: lizêr
Galician: livián , lixeiro (gl)
Georgian: მსუბუქი (ka) ( msubuki ) , მჩატე ( mčaṭe )
German: leicht (de)
Gothic: 𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌷𐍄𐍃 ( leihts )
Greek: αβαρής (el) ( avarís ) , ελαφρός (el) ( elafrós ) , ελαφρύς (el) ( elafrýs )
Ancient: ἐλαφρός ( elaphrós ) , κοῦφος ( koûphos ) , ἀβαρής ( abarḗs )
Hebrew: קל (he) m ( kál ) , קלה (he) f ( kaláh )
Hindi: हलका (hi) ( halkā )
Hungarian: könnyű (hu)
Icelandic: léttur (is) m , létt f or n
Ido: lejera (io)
Ilocano: nalag-an
Indonesian: ringan (id)
Ingush: дай ( daj ) , атта ( atta )
Isan: please add this translation if you can
Italian: leggero (it)
Iu Mien: heng
Japanese: 軽い (ja) ( かるい, karui )
Javanese: ènthèng (jv)
Kabuverdianu: lébi
Kazakh: жеңіл ( jeñıl )
Khmer: ស្រាល (km) ( sraal )
Korean: 가볍다 (ko) ( gabyeopda ) , 경량(輕量) 의 ( gyeongnyang-ui )
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: سووک ( sûk )
Northern Kurdish: sivik (ku)
Ladin: lesier
Lao: ຍ່ອງ ( nyǭng ) , ເບົາ ( bao )
Latin: levis (la)
Latvian: viegls
Lezgi: кьезил ( q̇ezil )
Lithuanian: lengvas (lt)
Lombard: legger
Lü: ᦢᧁ ( ḃaw )
Macedonian: лесен ( lesen )
Malay: ringan (ms)
Maltese: ħafif (mt)
Mizo: zäng
Mongolian: хөнгөн (mn) ( xöngön )
Muong: nhẽl
Nanai: хэню ( henju )
Norman: ligi
Northern Thai: please add this translation if you can
Norwegian: lett (no)
Nuosu: ꀁꇖ ( ix ly )
Occitan: leugièr (oc)
Old Church Slavonic: льгъкъ ( lĭgŭkŭ )
Old Prussian: lāngus m
Ossetian: рог ( rog )
Ottoman Turkish: خفیف ( hafif )
Pacoh: nghial
Papiamentu: lihé
Persian: سَبُک (fa) ( sabok )
Polish: lekki (pl)
Portuguese: leve (pt) m or f
Quechua: chhalla
Romanian: ușor (ro)
Romansch: lev , liger
Russian: лёгкий (ru) ( ljóxkij )
Rwanda-Rundi: huhwa
Sanskrit: लघु (sa) ( laghu )
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: лак
Roman: lak (sh)
Shan: မဝ် (shn) ( mǎo )
Sicilian: liggeru (scn)
Slovak: ľahký
Slovene: láhek (sl)
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: lažki
Spanish: ligero (es) , liviano (es) ( formal )
Swahili: epesi
Swedish: lätt (sv)
Tagalog: magaan
Telugu: తేలిక (te) ( tēlika )
Thai: เบา (th) ( bao )
Tibetan: ཡང་པོ ( yang po )
Tocharian B: lankᵤtse
Turkish: yeğni (tr) , hafif (tr)
Tuvan: чиик ( çiik )
Tày: bâu , bau , nẩư
Ukrainian: ле́гкий ( léhkyj )
Uzbek: yengil (uz)
Venetan: lesiéro , ƚixièro , lixiero , liđier (vec)
Vietnamese: nhẹ (vi) , nhẹ nhàng (vi)
Welsh: ysgafn (cy)
White Hmong: sib
Yakut: чэпчэки ( cepceki )
Yiddish: לײַכט ( laykht )
Zazaki: senık
Zhuang: mbaeu
having little force or momentum
low in fat, calories, alcohol, salt, etc.
Catalan: lleuger (ca) , light (ca)
Czech: dietní
Danish: kalorielet
Dutch: licht (nl)
Finnish: ( in compounds ) kevyt- (fi)
French: léger (fr)
German: leicht (de)
Hebrew: דיאטתי m ( diatéti ) , דיאטתית f ( diatétit ) , קל (he) m ( kál ) , קלה (he) f ( kaláh )
Hungarian: könnyű (hu) ( low-calorie or easily digestable foods ) , könnyed (hu) ( low-calorie or easily digestable foods ) , light (hu) ( in marketing ) , lájtos ( slang )
Icelandic: fitulítill m , fituskertur m , fitusnauður m
Italian: (please verify ) leggero (it) m , (please verify ) leggera (it) f
Korean: ( prefix ) 저(低)하다 ( jeohada )
Norman: ligi
Norwegian: lett (no) -
Persian: سبک (fa) ( sabok )
Polish: lekki (pl) , lekkostrawny (pl)
Portuguese: light (pt) , leve (pt)
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: lažki
Spanish: ligero (es) , light (es)
Swahili: mwanga (sw)
Swedish: lätt (sv) -
Turkish: hafif (tr)
Vietnamese: ( low in alcohol ) nhẹ (vi)
Welsh: ysgafn (cy)
of a locomotive: travelling with no carriages
not encumbered; unembarrassed
easily influenced by trifling considerations
lacking dignity or solemnity
not quite sound or normal
Translations to be checked
Adverb
light (comparative lighter , superlative lightest )
Carrying little.
I prefer to travel light .
Derived terms
Translations
Noun
light (plural lights )
( curling ) A stone that is not thrown hard enough.
See lights ( “ lungs ” ) .
( Australia , uncountable ) A low-alcohol lager .
2010 , Peter Corris , Torn Apart , Allen and Unwin, page 117 :We crossed to the pub on the corner of Carlisle Street and I ordered two schooners of old for him and one of light for me.
( military , historical ) A member of the light cavalry .
Verb
light (third-person singular simple present lights , present participle lighting , simple past and past participle lighted )
( nautical ) To unload a ship, or to jettison material to make it lighter
To lighten; to ease of a burden; to take off.
Derived terms
Translations
Etymology 5
From Middle English lighten , from Old English līhtan ( “ to relieve ” ) , from Proto-West Germanic *lį̄htijan , from Proto-Germanic *linhtijaną , from *linhtaz ( “ light ” ) .
Verb
light (third-person singular simple present lights , present participle lighting , simple past and past participle lit or lighted or ( obsolete ) light )
To find by chance .
I lit upon a rare book in a second-hand bookseller's.
To stop upon ( of eyes or a glance ) ; to notice
( archaic ) To alight ; to land or come down.
She fell out of the window but luckily lit on her feet.
1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe ], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, , London: W Taylor , →OCLC , pages 356–357 :[W]e knew not what Courſe to take, but the Creatures [wolves] reſolv'd us ſoon, for they gather'd about us preſently, in Hopes of Prey, [ …] I drew my little Troop in among thoſe Trees, and placing our ſelves in a Line, behind one long Tree, I advis'd them all to light , and keeping that Tree before us, for a Breaſt-Work, to ſtand in a Triangle, or three Fronts, encloſing our Horſes in the Center.
1769 , Benjamin Blayney (Ed.), King James Bible (Genesis 25:64)
And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.
1885 , Theodore Roosevelt , Hunting Trips of a Ranchman :Some kinds of ducks in lighting strike the water with their tails first, and skitter along the surface for a few feet before settling down.
1957 , Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel), The Cat in the Hat
And our fish came down, too. He fell into a pot! He said, "Do I like this? Oh, no! I do not. This is not a good game," Said our fish as he lit .
1977 December 31, Lisa Nussbaum, “Jacqui Mac: Bringing Her Dreams Together”, in Gay Community News , volume 4, number 26 , page 10 :One cannot help but notice a teasingly elusive air about her, as if she were a butterfly that refused to light and fluttered just out of reach of its would-be captor.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
French
Etymology
Borrowed from English light .
Pronunciation
Adjective
light (invariable )
light, slight
( of food ) diet, low-fat, fat-free, light
Middle English
lighte , lyght , lyghte , liȝt , liȝte , lyȝt , lyȝte , lijȝt , liȝht , lyȝht , lyȝhte , liȝth , lyȝth , ligt , lygtte , ligth , liht , lihte , lyht , lyhte , lith , lithe , lyth , lythe , litht , lite , lyte , lit , lytte , lichte , lict , licth , liste , leoht , leocht , loht
Etymology
From Old English lēoht ( “ light, daylight; power of vision; luminary; world ” ) , from Proto-West Germanic *leuht , from Proto-Germanic *leuhtą ( “ light ” ) , from Proto-Indo-European *lewktom , from the root *lewk- ( “ light ” ) .
Pronunciation
Noun
light (plural lightes )
The radiation which allows for vision by brightening objects and colours.
Illumination in general, or any source thereof.
The metaphorical clarity resulting from philosophical or religious ideals such as truth , wisdom , righteousness , etc.
Mental or spiritual acuity ; the presence of life in a living being.
( chemistry ) The property of lustre ; how shiny a substance is.
( religion ) Heavenly radiance ; glory
( architecture ) an opening in a wall allowing for the transmission of light; a window .
The sense of sight .
The state of being easily seen.
Descendants
References
Portuguese
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from English light . Doublet of leve , léu , and ligeiro .
Pronunciation
( Brazil ) IPA (key ) : /ˈlaj.t͡ʃi/ , ( careful pronunciation ) /ˈlajt/
( Brazil ) IPA (key ) : /ˈlaj.t͡ʃi/ , ( careful pronunciation ) /ˈlajt/
( Southern Brazil ) IPA (key ) : /ˈlaj.te/ , ( careful pronunciation ) /ˈlajt/
Adjective
light (invariable )
( of food ) light ( low in fat, calories, alcohol, salt or other undesirable substances )
Spanish
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from English light .
Pronunciation
Adjective
light (invariable )
light ( low in fat, calories, salt, alcohol, etc. )
( of cigarettes ) light ( low in tar, nicotine and other noxious chemicals )
( by extension ) Lacking substance or seriousness; lite
Usage notes
According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.
Further reading