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.
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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
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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:
But does her sudden departure highlight the challenges broadcasters face covering the women's game in an ever-changing media landscape?
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
The findings highlight an important distinction between simply stimulating muscle growth and maintaining the cellular systems that keep muscles healthy.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
He led a campaign to highlight the economic damage to local businesses during construction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
“It’s a way to highlight these pieces by not being so serious, while still honoring them.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
Practice ended with a scrimmage—the highlight of the afternoon for the boys.
From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John
Here are some campaign highlights compiled by AFP ahead of the November 3 US midterm elections.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
This flattening of subject matter highlights both the absurdity and power of the mass-produced image: An exploding plane, a passionate kiss and a load of laundry are all given equal weight through Lichtenstein’s eyes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Professor James Arvanitakis, Director of the Forrest Research Foundation, said the discovery highlights the importance of supporting early-career scientists who pursue ambitious questions without knowing in advance where the answers will lead.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
But a closer look highlights a large number of stocks that are in bear markets.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
He highlights the damage done to key infrastructure in various districts, and as he speaks, parts of the map light up, showing images of the destruction.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
It highlighted oil-importing low-income countries not exposed to the boom in artificial intelligence investment as being the most vulnerable.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
“As we have highlighted previously, we think the AI thematic is entering a more mature phase, where valuations, funding requirements, competitive threats, regulation, and revenue visibility are coming under much greater scrutiny,” the strategists said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
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
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
The scripture was highlighted in yellow, causing Cabot to raise one eyebrow as he read word for word the lines that had brought him to the library that morning.
From "Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley
Gretchen Palek, head of alternative at Blumhouse Television, attributes the show’s success to the careful and sensitive approach to telling these terrifying experiences while highlighting real-life universal anxieties.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 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
The review was ordered by ministers a year ago following a BBC Disclosure investigation highlighting failings in maternity care across Scotland.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
I handed it to Radar after a few minutes, and he looked at it for a while before writing on the corner of his notebook closest to me, The green highlighting must mean something.
From "Paper Towns" by John Green
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
