highlight

[ hahy-lahyt ]
See synonyms for: highlighthighlightedhighlightinghighlights on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),high·light·ed, high·light·ing.
  1. to emphasize or make prominent: The lawsuit against the landlord highlighted the need for a stricter building code.

  2. to mark with a felt-tip highlighter: I started highlighting the text (yellow for important ideas, blue for dates and facts), but I'm not sure it was productive in the long run.

  1. to create highlights in (a photograph or engraving).

  2. to dye (parts of the hair) lighter.

  3. to apply makeup to (the face) in places where light would naturally hit, to create a glowing effect: After blending the foundation, highlight the cheekbones.

noun
  1. Sometimes high light . an important, conspicuous, memorable, or enjoyable event, scene, part, or the like: the highlight of his talk;the highlight of the concert series.

  2. the area of most intense light on a represented form, as in a painting or photograph.

  1. Usually high·lights . a section of hair that has been dyed lighter.

Origin of highlight

1
An Americanism dating back to 1850–55; high + light1

Other words for highlight

Words Nearby highlight

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use highlight in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for highlight

highlight

/ (ˈhaɪˌlaɪt) /


noun
  1. an area of the lightest tone in a painting, drawing, photograph, etc

  2. the most exciting or memorable part of an event or period of time

  1. (often plural) a bleached blond streak in the hair

verb(tr)
  1. painting drawing photog to mark (any brightly illuminated or prominent part of a form or figure) with light tone

  2. to bring notice or emphasis to

  1. to be the highlight of

  2. to produce blond streaks in (the hair) by bleaching

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