alight
1 Americanverb (used without object)
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to dismount from a horse, descend from a vehicle, etc.
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to settle or stay after descending.
The bird alighted on the tree.
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to encounter or notice something accidentally.
adverb
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provided with light; lighted up.
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on fire; burning.
verb
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(usually foll by from) to step out (of) or get down (from)
to alight from a taxi
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to come to rest; settle; land
a thrush alighted on the wall
adjective
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burning; on fire
-
illuminated; lit up
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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alightsimple
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alightssimple
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have alightedperfect
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have alitperfect
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has alightedperfect
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has alitperfect
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am alightingprogressive
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are alightingprogressive
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is alightingprogressive
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have been alightingperfect progressive
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has been alightingperfect progressive
Past
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alightedsimple
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alitsimple
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had alightedperfect
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had alitperfect
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was alightingprogressive
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were alightingprogressive
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had been alightingperfect progressive
Future
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 )
Explanation
The word alight has two distinct meanings: it can mean coming down or settling in a delicate manner, such as a bird perching, or it can be a rather poetic way to describe something that’s on fire (or “afire”). Just as the word alight has two distinct grammatical forms and meanings, it has two distinct beginnings in the Old English. That period’s word ālīhtan had an original meaning of dismounting, or lightening the load on the horse, and so is the ancestor of the verb we use today that means "to settle or perch." Meanwhile, the word onlīhtan (see the different spelling?) of that same time meant to be on fire, which became our adjectival use of the word.
Vocabulary lists containing alight
Fahrenheit 451
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Lord of the Flies
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Mythology
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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.
Alight data shows that approximately 10% of workers left their jobs between ages 55 and 59½ in 2024, and slightly less than one-third of them used the rule of 55, roughly in line with 2015.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 14, 2026
Jocelyn Wyatt, the CEO of Alight - a humanitarian organisation that has previously helped pair refugees with Americans - said the new programme benefited sponsors and refugees.
From BBC • Feb. 22, 2023
But now “companies are trying to cut costs,” said Stephan Scholl, chief executive of Alight Solutions, a human capital company.
From Washington Post • Aug. 31, 2022
“Now most wellness programs offer solutions beyond guidance and investment advice,” said Alison Borland, an executive vice president with Alight Solutions.
From New York Times • Jul. 21, 2021
Alight placed above the center of the tank shines through the water, refracting as it ripples.
From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
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.
