alight
1 Americanverb (used without object)
-
to dismount from a horse, descend from a vehicle, etc.
-
to settle or stay after descending.
The bird alighted on the tree.
-
to encounter or notice something accidentally.
adverb
-
provided with light; lighted up.
-
on fire; burning.
verb
-
(usually foll by from) to step out (of) or get down (from)
to alight from a taxi
-
to come to rest; settle; land
a thrush alighted on the wall
adjective
-
burning; on fire
-
illuminated; lit up
Etymology
Origin of alight1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English alighten, Old English ālīhtan; equivalent to a- 3 + light 3 )
Origin of alight2
First recorded before 1000; originally past participle of alight “to light up,” Middle English alihten, Old English onlīhtan, equivalent to a- 1 + light 1 )
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.
Despite the fact a fight between two boxers nearing 50 is unlikely to set the sporting world alight, the competitive aspect seems secondary to the product.
From BBC • Feb. 24, 2026
They alight in a waterlogged Liverpool and discover the broken social factions that have cropped up in the wake of environmental collapse.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 9, 2026
It was set alight in the early hours of Thursday morning in the Melbourne suburb of St Kilda East, Victoria police said in a statement, describing it as a "suspicious fire".
From Barron's • Dec. 25, 2025
His memories alight on his father, Wheeler, an attorney who turned down a high-paying job in Chicago to hang out his shingle in Port William.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025
Jesper cocked his head to one side, gray eyes alight.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
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.
