lightnoun
uk/laɪt/us/laɪt/light noun (BRIGHTNESS)
B1 [ U ] the brightness that comes from the sun, fire, etc. and from electrical devices, and that allows things to be seen:
A2 [ C ] a piece of equipment that produces light, such as a lamp or a bulb:
More examples
- The light was so bright that I had to cover my eyes.
- The bomb exploded in a flash of yellow light.
- The torch sends out a powerful beam of light.
- She pulled the duvet over her head to try to shut out the light.
- We saw a glimmer of light in the distance.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Light
- beam
- candlelight
- daylight
- firelight
- fluorescent
- glossy
- incandescent
- incident ray
- lamplight
- luminescent
- luminous
- moonlight
- opalescent
- phosphorescent
- photo
- shiny
- starlight
- sun
- sunshine
- torchlight
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light noun (FLAME)
More examples
- He asked me for a light.
- She gave me a light.
- I didn't have a light.
- Can you give me a light?
- I needed a light.
something that will produce a flame and cause burning, such as a match or a cigarette lighter:
to cause something to start burning:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Tobacco & smoking
- baccy
- butt
- cheroot
- cig
- cigarette butt
- cigarette paper
- e-cigarette
- light (sth) up
- nicotine
- nicotine patch
- non-smoker
- pipe
- roll-your-own
- second-hand smoke
- smoke
- smoker
- smoking
- stub
- tar
- tobacconist
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Idiom(s)
lightadjective
uk/laɪt/us/laɪt/light adjective (NOT HEAVY)
A2 not weighing a lot:
A2 Light clothes are made of thin material that allows you to be cool:
More examples
- Will you be able to carry these bags to the car? There're quite light.
- This umbrella is very light and it fits easily into my bag.
- I can't carry you around any more - you're not as light as you were, my girl!
- My suitcase is fairly light as I didn't have time to pack very much.
- The kitten was so light I could hardly feel it sitting on my lap.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Light and weightless
- (as) light as a feather idiom
- airy
- be (as) light as a feather idiom
- ethereal
- feather
- floaty
- fluffy
- foamy
- frothy
- insubstantial
- lather
- lightness
- lightweight
- portable
- sheer
- weightless
- wispy
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light adjective (BRIGHT)
B1 lit by the natural light of the day:
More examples
- The new offices are light and airy.
- It doesn't get light until nine.
- The hall was bright and decorated in a modern style.
- I wanted the summer room to be very light.
- Her house is light and airy.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
The qualities of light
- ablaze
- backlit
- brilliant
- coruscating
- flicker
- floodlit
- fluorescent
- gleaming
- glittering
- glittery
- glossy
- incandescent
- lambent
- luminescent
- lustrous
- opalescent
- polychromatic
- spangly
- sparkling
- torchlight
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light adjective (PALE)
A1 (of colours) pale:
More examples
- He had spiky light brown hair, shaved at the sides and gelled on top.
- A dark carpet won't mark as easily as a light one.
- The walls are painted light blue.
- I prefer to wear light colours.
- They have a light brown carpet.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Colourless or causing colour to fade
- bleach
- colorless
- colourless
- discolour
- drab
- dull
- faded
- frost
- ghostly
- muted
- pale
- paleness
- palish
- pastel
- sober
- sombre
- subdued
- washed out
- weather
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light adjective (NOT SERIOUS)
entertaining and easily understood, but not serious and not intended to make you think:
C2 to behave as if a situation, especially a problem, is not serious or important:
More examples
- I found her novels rather light.
- The programmes are intended as light entertainment.
- I did a little light reading.
- She enjoys light opera.
- The movie was light but fun.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Humour & humorous
- a bundle of laughs idiom
- blackly
- bring
- bundle
- crack
- don't make me laugh! idiom
- funny ha-ha or funny peculiar? idiom
- gallows humour
- hysterical
- jocular
- josh
- killing
- lambent
- laugh
- sarcasm
- satirize
- tickle
- tongue
- witty
- wordplay
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light adjective (NOT MUCH)
B1 not great in strength or amount:
someone who eats/drinks/smokes only a little
someone who is easily woken up by noise, etc.
More examples
- There was a light covering of snow.
- This wine has a light, fruity flavour .
- The sauce itself was light, fragrant and slightly sweet.
- The boat goes fast, even in light winds.
- There is only light traffic on the roads tonight.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Weakness and vulnerability
- Achilles heel
- at a low ebb idiom
- be (only) flesh and blood idiom
- be sb's poodle idiom
- chink in sb's armour idiom
- faint
- frailty
- impotent
- indefensible
- lax
- limp
- malleable
- susceptibility
- susceptible
- toothless
- totter
- underbelly
- unprotected
- unsteady
- wraith
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light adjective (MEAL/DRINK)
A light meal is small and easy to digest:
used to describe alcoholic drinks that are not strong in flavour:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Meals & parts of meals
- accompaniment
- afternoon tea
- afters
- amuse-bouche
- antipasto
- dinner
- dinner party
- dinner time
- elevenses
- English breakfast
- packed lunch
- picnic
- plate meal
- ploughman's lunch
- postprandial
- tea party
- teatime
- tiffin
- TV dinner
- working lunch/breakfast
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light adjective (NOT SEVERE)
needing only a very small amount of effort:
A light sentence in prison is a short one:
to do something quickly and easily:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Easiness and simplicity
- (as) easy as pie/ABC/anything/falling off a log idiom
- at the push of a button idiom
- at the stroke of a pen idiom
- be (all) downhill idiom
- be child's play idiom
- breeze
- convincing
- foolproof
- friendly
- gift
- gimme
- give/hand sth to sb on a (silver) platter idiom
- painless
- rocket science
- sail
- sail through (sth)
- sb could do sth with one arm/hand tied behind his/her back idiom
- self-explanatory
- semi-skilled
- simple
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Idiom(s)
lightverb
uk/laɪt/us/laɪt/lit or lighted, lit or lightedlight verb (START FLAMES)
B1 [ I or T ] to start to burn or to make something start to burn:
More examples
- The room was lit by candles.
- A full moon lit up the sky.
- A dim torch lit the cave.
- Laser beams lit up the night.
- A white light lit up the screen.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Starting fires
- bellows
- combust
- fire
- fire starter
- firelighter
- ignite
- ignition
- incendiary
- kindle
- kindling
- make
- match
- put
- put sth out 1
- relight
- set fire to sth/sb idiom
- splutter
- tinder
- torch
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light verb (MAKE BRIGHT)
B2 [ T ] to produce light that makes an object or area bright or easy to see:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Giving out light
- alight
- blink
- brighten
- burn
- burnish
- cast
- catch
- dazzle
- flicker
- gild
- glance
- glow
- illuminate
- redshift
- reflected ray
- shiny
- sparkly
- strobe
- trick
- UV
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