light
1. (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation (Freq. 46)
- the light was filtered through a soft glass window
• Syn:
visible light, visible radiation
• Topics:
physics, natural philosophy
• Hypernyms:
actinic radiation, actinic ray
• Hyponyms:
beam, beam of light, light beam, ray, ray of light,
shaft, shaft of light, irradiation, candlelight, candle flame, corona,
counterglow, gegenschein, daylight, firelight, fluorescence, friar's lantern,
ignis fatuus, jack-o'-lantern, will-o'-the-wisp, gaslight, radiance, glow,
glowing, half-light, incandescence, lamplight, luminescence, meteor,
shooting star, moonlight, moonshine, Moon, starlight, sunlight,
sunshine, sun, scintillation, streamer, torchlight, twilight
• Part Holonyms:
electromagnetic spectrum
2. any device serving as a source of illumination (Freq. 23)
- he stopped the car and turned off the lights
• Syn:
light source
• Hypernyms:
source of illumination
• Hyponyms:
anchor light, riding light, riding lamp, blinker, flasher,
fairy light, flood, floodlight, flood lamp, photoflood, headlight,
headlamp, houselights, jacklight, navigation light, night-light, panel light,
room light, sconce, searchlight, sidelight, running light, strip lighting,
theater light, torch
3. a particular perspective or aspect of a situation (Freq. 13)
- although he saw it in a different light, he still did not understand
• Hypernyms:
position, view, perspective
4. the quality of being luminous;
emitting or reflecting light (Freq. 10)
- its luminosity is measured relative to that of our sun
• Syn:
luminosity, brightness, brightness level, luminance, luminousness
• Derivationally related forms:
bright (for: luminousness), bright (for: brightness), luminous (for: luminosity)
• Hypernyms:
physical property
• Hyponyms:
illuminance, illumination, incandescence, luminescence, glow
• Attrubites:
bright, dull
5. an illuminated area (Freq. 7)
- he stepped into the light
• Hypernyms:
scene
6. a condition of spiritual awareness;
divine illumination (Freq. 4)
- follow God's light
• Syn:
illumination
• Hypernyms:
condition, status
7. the visual effect of illumination on objects or scenes as created in pictures (Freq. 4)
- he could paint the lightest light and the darkest dark
• Syn:
lightness
• Derivationally related forms:
light (for: lightness)
• Hypernyms:
visual property
• Hyponyms:
aura, aureole, halo, nimbus, glory,
gloriole, sunniness, highlight, highlighting, brightness
• Attrubites:
dark
8. a person regarded very fondly (Freq. 3)
- the light of my life
• Hypernyms:
friend
9. having abundant light or illumination (Freq. 2)
- they played as long as it was light
- as long as the lighting was good
• Syn:
lighting
• Ant:
dark
• Hypernyms:
illumination
10. mental understanding as an enlightening experience (Freq. 2)
- he finally saw the light
- can you shed light on this problem?
• Hypernyms:
insight, brainstorm, brainwave
11. merriment expressed by a brightness or gleam or animation of countenance (Freq. 2)
- he had a sparkle in his eye
- there's a perpetual twinkle in his eyes
• Syn:
sparkle, twinkle, spark
• Derivationally related forms:
twinkly (for: twinkle), sparkly (for: sparkle), sparkle (for: sparkle)
• Hypernyms:
vitality, verve, expression, look, aspect,
facial expression, face
12. public awareness (Freq. 1)
- it brought the scandal to light
• Hypernyms:
public knowledge, general knowledge
13. a visual warning signal
- they saw the light of the beacon
- there was a light at every corner
• Hypernyms:
visual signal
• Hyponyms:
traffic light, traffic signal, stoplight
14. a device for lighting or igniting fuel or charges or fires
- do you have a light?
• Syn:
lighter, igniter, ignitor
• Derivationally related forms:
ignite (for: ignitor), ignite (for: igniter), light (for: lighter)
• Hypernyms:
device
• Hyponyms:
cigar lighter, cigarette lighter, pocket lighter, fuse, fuze,
fuze, fuzee, primer, priming, match,
lucifer, friction match
1. make lighter or brighter (Freq. 12)
- This lamp lightens the room a bit
• Syn:
illume, illumine, light up, illuminate
• Derivationally related forms:
illumination (for: illuminate), illuminant (for: illuminate)
• Hypernyms:
lighten, lighten up
• Hyponyms:
floodlight, spotlight
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s something
- Something ----s something
2. begin to smoke (Freq. 10)
- After the meal, some of the diners lit up
• Syn:
light up, fire up
• Hypernyms:
ignite
• Entailment:
smoke
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s
- Somebody ----s something
3. to come to rest, settle (Freq. 3)
- Misfortune lighted upon him
• Syn:
alight, perch
• Hypernyms:
land, set down
• Verb Frames:
- Something ----s
- Somebody ----s
- Somebody ----s PP
4. cause to start burning;
subject to fire or great heat (Freq. 2)
- Great heat can ignite almost any dry matter
- Light a cigarette
• Syn:
ignite
• Ant:
extinguish (for: ignite)
• Derivationally related forms:
lighter, ignitible (for: ignite), ignitable (for: ignite), ignition (for: ignite), igniter (for: ignite), ignitor (for: ignite)
• Hypernyms:
burn, combust
• Hyponyms:
light up, fire up, reignite, kindle, enkindle,
conflagrate, inflame, flare up
• Cause:
burn, combust
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s something
- Something ----s something
5. alight from (a horse)
• Syn:
unhorse, dismount, get off, get down
• Derivationally related forms:
dismount (for: dismount)
• Topics:
riding, horseback riding
• Hypernyms:
descend, fall, go down, come down
• Verb Frames:
- Somebody ----s
6. fall to somebody by assignment or lot
- The task fell to me
- It fell to me to notify the parents of the victims
• Syn:
fall
• Hypernyms:
fall, return, pass, devolve
• Verb Group:
accrue, fall
• Verb Frames:
- Something ----s somebody
- Somebody ----s somebody to INFINITIVE
1. of comparatively little physical weight or density (Freq. 14)
- a light load
- magnesium is a light metal--having a specific gravity of 1.74 at 20 degrees C
• Ant:
heavy
• Similar to:
lightweight, airy, buoyant, floaty, lighter-than-air, low-density
• Derivationally related forms:
lightness
• Attrubites:
weight
2. (used of color) having a relatively small amount of coloring agent (Freq. 9)
- light blue
- light colors such as pastels
- a light-colored powder
• Syn:
light-colored
• Ant:
dark
• Similar to:
pale, palish, pastel, powdery
• See Also:
white
• Derivationally related forms:
lightness
• Attrubites:
value
3. of the military or industry;
using (or being) relatively small or light arms or equipment (Freq. 4)
- light infantry
- light cavalry
- light industry
- light weapons
• Ant:
heavy
• Similar to:
light-armed, lightly-armed
4. not great in degree or quantity or number (Freq. 3)
- a light sentence
- a light accent
- casualties were light
- light snow was falling
- light misty rain
- light smoke from the chimney
• Ant:
heavy
5. psychologically light;
especially free from sadness or troubles (Freq. 3)
- a light heart
• Ant:
heavy
• Similar to:
fooling, casual
• Derivationally related forms:
lightness
6. characterized by or emitting light (Freq. 3)
- a room that is light when the shutters are open
- the inside of the house was airy and light
• Ant:
dark
• Similar to:
ablaze, inflamed, reddened, autofluorescent, bioluminescent,
bright, candescent, floodlit, floodlighted, fluorescent, illuminated,
lighted, lit, well-lighted, incandescent, candent, lamplit,
lamplit, livid, luminescent, phosphorescent, sunlit,
sunstruck, white
• Derivationally related forms:
lightness
• Attrubites:
lightness
7. (used of vowels or syllables) pronounced with little or no stress (Freq. 2)
- a syllable that ends in a short vowel is a light syllable
- a weak stress on the second syllable
• Syn:
unaccented, weak
• Similar to:
unstressed
8. easily assimilated in the alimentary canal;
not rich or heavily seasoned (Freq. 2)
- a light diet
• Similar to:
digestible
9. (used of soil) loose and large-grained in consistency (Freq. 2)
- light soil
• Similar to:
loose
• Derivationally related forms:
lightness
10. (of sound or color) free from anything that dulls or dims (Freq. 1)
- 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
• Syn:
clean, clear, unclouded
• Similar to:
pure
• Derivationally related forms:
uncloudedness (for: unclouded), clarity (for: clear), clearness (for: clear)
11. moving easily and quickly;
nimble (Freq. 1)
- the dancer was light and graceful
- a lightsome buoyant step
- walked with a light tripping step
• Syn:
lightsome, tripping
• Similar to:
light-footed
• Derivationally related forms:
lightsomeness (for: lightsome), lightness
12. demanding little effort;
not burdensome (Freq. 1)
- light housework
- light exercise
• Similar to:
undemanding
13. of little intensity or power or force
- the light touch of her fingers
- a light breeze
• Ant:
heavy
• Similar to:
easy, gentle, soft
14. (physics, chemistry) not having atomic weight greater than average
- light water is ordinary water
• Ant:
heavy
• Topics:
chemistry, chemical science
15. very thin and insubstantial
- thin paper
- light summer dresses
• Similar to:
thin
• Derivationally related forms:
lightness
16. marked by temperance in indulgence
- abstemious with the use of adverbs
- a light eater
- a light smoker
- ate a light supper
• Syn:
abstemious
• Similar to:
temperate
• Derivationally related forms:
abstemiousness (for: abstemious)
17. less than the correct or legal or full amount often deliberately so
- a light pound
- a scant cup of sugar
- regularly gives short weight
• Syn:
scant, short
• Similar to:
insufficient, deficient
• Derivationally related forms:
scantness (for: scant)
18. having little importance
- losing his job was no light matter
• Similar to:
insignificant, unimportant
19. intended primarily as entertainment;
not serious or profound
- light verse
- a light comedy
• Similar to:
frivolous
• Derivationally related forms:
lightness
20. silly or trivial
- idle pleasure
- light banter
- light idle chatter
• Syn:
idle
• Similar to:
frivolous
• Derivationally related forms:
lightness
21. having relatively few calories
- diet cola
- light (or lite) beer
- lite (or light) mayonnaise
- a low-cal diet
• Syn:
lite, low-cal, calorie-free
• Similar to:
nonfat, fat-free, fatless
22. casual and unrestrained in sexual behavior
- her easy virtue
- he was told to avoid loose (or light) women
- wanton behavior
• Syn:
easy, loose, promiscuous, sluttish, wanton
• Similar to:
unchaste
• Derivationally related forms:
wanton (for: wanton), wantonness (for: wanton), sluttishness (for: sluttish), promiscuousness (for: promiscuous), promiscuity (for: promiscuous), looseness (for: loose)
23. 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
• Syn:
faint, swooning, light-headed, lightheaded
• Similar to:
ill, sick
• Derivationally related forms:
lightheadedness (for: lightheaded), faint (for: faint), faintness (for: faint)
24. designed for ease of movement or to carry little weight
- light aircraft
- a light truck
• Similar to:
light-duty
25. (of sleep) easily disturbed
- in a light doze
- a light sleeper
- a restless wakeful night
• Syn:
wakeful
• Similar to:
shallow
• Derivationally related forms:
wakefulness (for: wakeful)
with few burdens
- experienced travellers travel light
• Syn:
lightly
• Derived from adjective:
light (for: lightly)
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