highlight
Americanverb (used with object)
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highlights,
present (3rd person singular)
-
highlighted,
past participle, past
-
highlighting
present participle
-
to emphasize or make prominent.
The lawsuit against the landlord highlighted the need for a stricter building code.
-
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.
-
to create highlights in (a photograph or engraving).
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to dye (parts of the hair) lighter.
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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
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highlights
plural
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Sometimes high light an important, conspicuous, memorable, or enjoyable event, scene, part, or the like: the highlight of the concert series.
the highlight of his talk;
the highlight of the concert series.
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the area of most intense light on a represented form, as in a painting or photograph.
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Usually highlights a section of hair that has been dyed lighter.
noun
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an area of the lightest tone in a painting, drawing, photograph, etc
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the most exciting or memorable part of an event or period of time
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(often plural) a bleached blond streak in the hair
verb
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painting drawing photog to mark (any brightly illuminated or prominent part of a form or figure) with light tone
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to bring notice or emphasis to
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to be the highlight of
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to produce blond streaks in (the hair) by bleaching
Usage
What does highlight mean? To highlight something is to emphasize it or make it more prominent, as in Last class, the biology teacher highlighted the material we would need to know for the test. To highlight also means to mark something on paper with a highlighter. A highlighter is a felt-tipped pen with a soft, translucent color used to mark words and images on a printed page. Many students and readers highlight passages in textbooks and other materials to help them remember the passages better. A highlight is the best or most prominent part of something. You can often watch the highlights of a sporting event or TV show online. Your study notes might be just the highlights of your teacher’s lectures, and if you keep a journal or diary, you might only record the highlights of your day. Example: I try to highlight the best members of a community in my stories.
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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highlightsimple
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highlightssimple
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have highlightedperfect
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has highlightedperfect
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am highlightingprogressive
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are highlightingprogressive
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is highlightingprogressive
-
have been highlightingperfect progressive
-
has been highlightingperfect progressive
Past
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highlightedsimple
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had highlightedperfect
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was highlightingprogressive
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were highlightingprogressive
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had been highlightingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of highlight
Explanation
If you missed the big game, don't worry — you can still catch the highlights on the news. A highlight is the most important or memorable part of something. If you don’t have time to listen to your friend’s long, involved story, you might say, "Just give me the highlights." Highlight can also mean "a lightness or a bright area." If someone puts highlights in their hair, they are adding bright streaks to their hair. When used as a verb, highlight means "to emphasize." You may want to highlight the best grades on a report card while downplaying the lesser ones.
Vocabulary lists containing highlight
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 2
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The Language of Standardized Tests, List 1
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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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.
See Examples For:
Smith is the latest in a series of leading industry figures to highlight the need for increased vigilance around AI technology.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
These findings highlight why traditional calorie calculations cannot fully describe human digestion.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
Richard Strauss’s “Also Sprach Zarathustra” closed the concert, and proved the residency’s highlight.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
Though it came in a losing effort, his performance against the Rams provided a resume highlight.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
The highlight of the evening was the game.
From "Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby
Jane Gardam, who died in 2025, highlights the longing of older people to establish attachments in the easy way of youth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
He underscores that the story is not about the fire itself, rather a journey that highlights resilience, laughter and love and “facing things you never thought were possible,” he shared.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
Hayes is also extremely bullish on Alibaba because “it owns equity in pretty much every AI startup in Asia,” and he highlights its Moonshot holding, which could go public soon with a $50 billion valuation.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026
The wider guide includes more than 70 other South Australian restaurants, with some recognised through the Bib Gourmand category, which highlights restaurants offering good food at more moderate prices.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
I’ll “rewind the movie in my mind,” as Zlata would say, and replay the summer from the beginning, pausing on some of the highlights.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
In general, education ministers in England have been more likely to set direction for teachers, highlighted by the approach to phonics.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
The importance of these materials was highlighted by the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar Yaghi for their work in this field.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
Lew highlighted Ann Mannix’s accomplishments within the department, where she worked for more than three decades, rose to the rank of deputy chief and was the first woman to lead the department’s tactical company.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
At that summit, the general sentiment was positive and several CFOs highlighted the fast adoption and integration of AI tools within their finance departments and the wider organizations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
I followed the map to a tee, pacing my steps, trying to identify the landmarks that my squad leader had highlighted.
From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore
Many United fans are delighted he went down that path, and the defender was highlighting inadequacies in the club's leadership structure.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
In a statement on X, Guilfoyle rejected the allegations against her and defended her record as ambassador, highlighting efforts to boost US energy exports and strengthen security ties with Greece.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
Age-related macular degeneration alone affects approximately 2.5 million Canadians, highlighting the potential importance of understanding the processes that keep the retina healthy.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
The company had been highlighting its still-popular baggy jeans before changing direction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Ms. Rochambeau glances down at the highlighting on Matt’s sheet.
From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
