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  • lit
    lit
    verb
    a simple past tense and past participle of light.
  • lit.
    lit.
    abbreviation
    liter; liters.
  • Lit.
    Lit.
    abbreviation
    (in Italy) lira; lire.
Synonyms

lit

1 American  
[lit] / lɪt /

verb

  1. a simple past tense and past participle of light.


adjective

  1. Slang. under the influence of liquor or narcotics; intoxicated (usually followed byup ).

  2. Slang. amazing; awesome; cool (used as a general term of approval).

    Today's rally was really lit!

lit 2 American  
[lit] / lɪt /

verb

  1. a simple past tense and past participle of light.


lit 3 American  
[lit] / lɪt /

noun

Informal.
  1. literature.

    a college course in English lit.


lit 4 American  
[lit] / lɪt /

noun

  1. litas.


lit. 5 American  

abbreviation

  1. liter; liters.

  2. literal.

  3. literally.

  4. literary.

  5. literature.


Lit. 6 American  

abbreviation

  1. (in Italy) lira; lire.


lit. 1 British  

abbreviation

  1. literal(ly)

  2. literary

  3. literature

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

lit 2 British  
/ lɪt /

verb

  1. a past tense and past participle of light 1

  2. an alternative past tense and past participle of light 2

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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."

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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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