light up
Britishverb
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to light a cigarette, pipe, etc
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to illuminate or cause to illuminate
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to make or become cheerful or animated
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Become or cause to become more animated or cheerful, as in Her laughter lit up the whole room , or His face lit up when he saw her . This expression transfers physical illumination to human moods. Also see lighten up . [Mid-1700s]
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Start smoking a cigar, cigarette, or pipe, as in The minute he got outside the church he lit up . [ Colloquial ; mid-1800s]
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.
In addition to Yoshi, theaters are selling $45 star-shaped Luma buckets, which light up and come in several colors.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026
A mile or so from the pads where Artemis II will light up the sky, Brenda Mulberry, owner of Space Shirts, has been selling Nasa T-shirts and souvenirs for 40 years.
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
NASA’s Artemis II fly-by mission will light up the Florida sky at launch, and observers can watch from miles away.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
I felt something close to pride as I watched their eyes light up in realization: this was actually a very good sweet — not some leprechaunian trick.
From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026
Maybe his face didn’t light up at the sight of her?
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
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.
