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.
For 115 days, captain Mohammad Shafiqul Islam was stranded on the high seas of the Gulf, watching missiles light up the night sky and rationing food and water for his crew.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 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
As the band launches into Dirty Harry, the long, pitch-side advertising hoardings light up with a cartoon choir, singing the song's refrain, "all I do is dance".
From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026
At dusk, the skyscraper’s crown is set to light up a display of rockets launching into the sky.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
He lifted his light up to the walls, inspecting them for something.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
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.
