alight

[ uh-lahyt ]

/ əˈlaɪt /

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See synonyms for: alight / alighted / alit on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), a·light·ed or a·lit, a·light·ing.

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.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of alight

before 1000; Middle English alighten,Old English ālīhtan, equivalent to ā-a-³ + līhtan to relieve (originally an animal mount) of weight, light²)

Other definitions for alight (2 of 2)

alight²

[ uh-lahyt ]

/ əˈlaɪt /

adverb, adjective

provided with light; lighted up.

on fire; burning.

Origin of alight

before 1000; now taken as a-¹ + light¹; originally past participle of alight to light up (Middle English alihten,Old English onlīhtan, equivalent to ona-¹ + līhtan to light¹)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use alight in a sentence

Jacobsen traces the obsession back to the Pentagon, where senior officials had alighted on a new strategy to win the stalemated war.
An unusual mission in Afghanistan, and the troops who suffered to carry it out|Greg Jaffe|January 15, 2021|Washington Post
The Capitol building — then much smaller and lacking its current dome, was also set alight.
Political extremists have attacked the U.S. Capitol before: A history of the violence|Gillian Brockell|January 7, 2021|Washington Post
The boosters were jettisoned, and the remainder of the rocket continued its climb into the deepest possible night, the Earth blue and alight behind it, an impossible blackness ahead.
My satellite would fit in a small suitcase.|Katie McLean|December 18, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Often, a pair of pigeons alight on nearby rooftops, their cooing a gentle nudge that a larger world still exists beyond our fraught lives.
A concise guide to birding in your own backyard|Erin E. Williams|December 11, 2020|Washington Post

Meanwhile, NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell is reportedly considering setting alight some of the Comcast-owned conglomerate’s cable TV networks as he reorients the Peacock parent around streaming.
‘Burn the boats’: TV networks playing with fire in streaming pivots|Tim Peterson|December 9, 2020|Digiday
Police responded and a check of the Goldman Sachs surveillance cameras showed three parachutists alighting on the pavement.
Hero or Criminal? James Brady, the WTC Ironworker Who Jumped Off the Building|Michael Daly|March 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Kalman has a way of alighting on a moment in history, and animating it with personal details, both true and imagined.
Maira Kalman at the Jewish Museum: Interview|Casey Schwartz|May 19, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Alighting from Pyne's car at the door, they went up to the flat of the organizer of the opium party—Mr. Cyrus Kilfane.
Dope|Sax Rohmer
"But I must see her," Eloise said, alighting first and brushing past him, while he stood open-mouthed with surprise.
The Cromptons|Mary J. Holmes
He felt as Columbus felt when he saw the land bird alighting upon his ship and the driftwood floating by.
The Wonder Book of Knowledge|Various
On alighting from his elephant a salute of twenty-one guns will be fired by the horse artillery.
The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III.|E. Farr and E. H. Nolan
On alighting on the island they emptied their pouches on the sand—too often, I must confess, solely for my benefit.
The Adventures of Louis de Rougemont|Louis de Rougemont

British Dictionary definitions for alight (1 of 2)

alight¹

/ (əˈlaɪt) /

verb alights, alighting, alighted or alit (intr)

(usually foll by from) to step out (of) or get down (from)to alight from a taxi

to come to rest; settle; landa thrush alighted on the wall

Word Origin for alight

Old English ālīhtan, from a- ² + līhtan to make less heavy, from līht light ²

British Dictionary definitions for alight (2 of 2)

alight²

/ (əˈlaɪt) /

adjective, adverb (postpositive)

burning; on fire

illuminated; lit up

Word Origin for alight

Old English ālīht lit up, from ālīhtan to light up; see light 1

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

alight

Origin of alight

Other definitions for alight (2 of 2)

Origin of alight

Words related to alight

How to use alight in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for alight (1 of 2)

Word Origin for alight

British Dictionary definitions for alight (2 of 2)

Word Origin for alight