light bulb moment

British

noun

informal a moment of sudden inspiration, revelation, or recognition

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of light bulb moment

C20: from the cartoon image of a light bulb lighting up above a character's head when he or she has an idea

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.

"The filters would be very good insulation, and someone had a light bulb moment and probably bought this as scrap off their manager," he said.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

“I noticed that my kids just didn’t differentiate. It was just such a light bulb moment for me. This is how it should be. More exposure to the full spectrum of humanity.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 14, 2024

Did you have a light bulb moment, an experience where you said, "Oh, this is not normal?"

From Salon • Jun. 3, 2024

That was when Ms. Velasquez had a light bulb moment: She would start a cactus-based natural botanicals company.

From New York Times • May 20, 2022

A light bulb moment for a lot of my actors is, I share Russian singing and music, which reflects the speaking rhythms.

From Slate • Jul. 24, 2021

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023