light up

British  

verb

1. to light a cigarette, pipe, etc

2. to illuminate or cause to illuminate

3. to make or become cheerful or animated

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light up Idioms  

1. Become or cause to become more animated or cheerful, as in Her laughter lit up the whole room , or His face lit up when he saw her . This expression transfers physical illumination to human moods. Also see lighten up . [Mid-1700s]

2. Start smoking a cigar, cigarette, or pipe, as in The minute he got outside the church he lit up . [ Colloquial ; mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

“We’re already familiar with the original Love Island series, so I think it’s just lighting up that part of people’s brains, and then they just get looped in,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Angry, the 60-year-old cannot come to terms with the loss of her daughter Annalee, a little blonde girl in a cowboy hat whose smile lights up the pin attached to the lapel of her jacket.

From Barron's

The list of players of Surinamese heritage to light up European soccer is familiar to anyone who has watched the great Dutch sides of the past 40 years.

From The Wall Street Journal

That was the point those volunteers made last October: Clean up the bridge and light up the bridge — as they did for three days — and fans will walk there.

From Los Angeles Times

Oxygen atoms glow green and nitrogen light up in reds, blues and pinks.

From BBC

Related Words

• blink
• flicker
• gleam
• glint
• glisten
• glitter
• glow
• illuminate
• shimmer
• sparkle
• wink