- a variation of litas.
lit
1 Americanverb
adjective
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Slang. under the influence of liquor or narcotics; intoxicated (usually followed byup ).
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Slang. amazing; awesome; cool (used as a general term of approval).
Today's rally was really lit!
verb
noun
noun
abbreviation
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liter; liters.
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literal.
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literally.
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literary.
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literature.
abbreviation
abbreviation
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literal(ly)
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literary
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literature
Etymology
Origin of lit1
First recorded in 1895–1900 in the sense “intoxicated”
Origin of lit3
First recorded in 1850–55; by shortening
Explanation
If something's lit, it's illuminated with light from a lamp or other source. Your romantic dinner table might be lit only with flickering candles. A well-lit room provides enough light for whatever task you need to to there — your kitchen might be lit with under-cabinet lights that shine on the counters, and your office might be lit with a desk lamp. Lit also means "set on fire," like a lit campfire or a glowing, lit stick of incense. If you're studying American literature in school, you might describe it using the colloquial shorthand, "American lit."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Between the Booker Prize and SJP Lit, are you able to read for fun?
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2026
"Right now, I'm a little angry. I don't want to invest in American companies," says Joanna Goodman, owner of Au Lit Fine Linens, a Toronto-based bedding and nightwear company.
From BBC • Mar. 16, 2025
To show Au Lit Fine Linens' commitment to Canadian manufacturers, its stores now highlight everything that is Canadian made.
From BBC • Mar. 16, 2025
Other new stores are online only, among them the Be More Literature Children’s Bookshop and the used books seller Liberation Is Lit.
From Seattle Times • May 23, 2024
On the other side of Balder was Nanna, his wife, and next to her, and not in the best of tempers, was a dwarf called Lit.
From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.