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.
He’d seen the TV commercials for the new sets, powered by “smart bricks” that light up when laser blasts are fired and emit a chorus of zooming spacecraft engine sounds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
However Spain and Barecelona's teenager star - Lamine Yamal - is yet to truly light up the stage to the extent he did during the national team's successful Euro 2024 campaign.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
The heat comes as the nation prepares to celebrate on Saturday the 250th anniversary of its independence from Britain, with fireworks set to light up the skies over major cities, including New York and Washington.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
In some ways, high school looks much the same as it did 20, even 100 years ago: sleepy eyes either light up or glaze over when a teacher poses a Socratic question.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
Lifting a finger, he touched the green feather she’d tucked into her hair, and she watched the smile light up his face like a candle batting against the night.
From "The Reader" by Traci Chee
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.
