lit
verb
a simple past tense and past participle of light.
Showing results for "lit"
- a variation of litas.
lit
1 American
[lit]
/ lɪt /
verb
adjective
-
Slang. under the influence of liquor or narcotics; intoxicated (usually followed byup ).
-
Slang. amazing; awesome; cool (used as a general term of approval).
Today's rally was really lit!
lit
2
American
[lit]
/ lɪt /
verb
lit
3
American
[lit]
/ lɪt /
noun
Informal.
lit
4
American
[lit]
/ lɪt /
noun
lit.
5
American
abbreviation
-
liter; liters.
-
literal.
-
literally.
-
literary.
-
literature.
Lit.
6
American
abbreviation
lit.
1
British
abbreviation
-
literal(ly)
-
literary
-
literature
lit
2
British
/ lɪt /
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.
See Examples For:
In effect, Coxon lit a match to a growing pile of concerning developments that on their own didn’t capture the world’s attention.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
A first win of the season, albeit more nervy than anticipated, lit the spark for Unai Emery's side.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
The blue-lit monotony of every day is replaced by warm amber table lamps and dimly lit corners flanked by books on all sides.
From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026
He and his wife keep a candle lit in front of a photograph of their son in their kitchen, where they prepare elaborate meals, always with handmade corn tortillas and generous servings of avocado.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026
After a second, the panel lit up, and he keyed in what had to be a twenty-digit code.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
“This was like magic. Then he gets the light lit. I say this is poetic, but it’s true. It lit the rest of my career. I was locked into science, mostly electricity.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 31, 2024
"The reason for the recall of the vehicles is the SRS warning light on the instrument panel is lit. An internal malfunction of the airbag module is possible," Rosstandard said in a statement.
From Reuters ● Aug. 8, 2022
"Holding onto anger is poison; forgiving is nectar. An angry grudge is like lighting a fire that destroys the place where it's lit. It burns your own heart first."
From Salon ● Jan. 3, 2021
“There was nothing, nothing lit. It was like going into a darkroom closet, pitch black, you couldn’t see in front of you.”
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 30, 2019
"A lamp's lit. Look at those candles. Mom would never waste candles if no one was home."
From "Legend" by Marie Lu
My English Lit. is a little rusty, but I seem to remember a couple of writers named Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley.
From New York Times ● Feb. 28, 2018
“But the Academy course only lasts a year, not six like in Psychology. I’ll have to see what I do afterward. Maybe Lit. But I’m planning to keep writing.”
From The New Yorker ● Mar. 10, 2016
“If the English Lit. department walked out, nobody would’ve done anything.”
From Salon ● Nov. 16, 2015
Lit. factories, the book does have intrinsic value for nonacademic readers.
From Time Magazine Archive
“You’re not studying English Lit. and French history now, Ned.”
From Fenn Masterson's Discovery or, The Darewell Chums on a Cruise by Allen Chapman
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.
