light up
Britishverb
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to light a cigarette, pipe, etc
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to illuminate or cause to illuminate
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to make or become cheerful or animated
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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]
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Start smoking a cigar, cigarette, or pipe, as in The minute he got outside the church he lit up . [ Colloquial ; mid-1800s]
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.
“Just seeing her light up and sit in the back of the car singing… ‘You betrayed me!’
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
Those who grew up watching Panettiere light up screens both big and small were devastated.
From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2026
Photographs of happy, smiling human faces made an area of the brain that is associated with reward "light up" with activity.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
Just as important as Kiffin’s ability to light up scoreboards was his knack for using any microphone within earshot to stir up attention.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Jack swung the sword around to light up a small hole between the trees.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
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.
