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
The new range includes bricks and figures that can react to movement, play sound and light up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Those who grew up watching Panettiere light up screens both big and small were devastated.
From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2026
Her mother, Hayley Dripps, described her as "a very happy little girl... the strongest person I've ever met in my life... courageous and had a smile that would light up a room".
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
And Father’s face would light up with a kind of pleased surprise as it always did on those rare occasions when he thought about the business side of watchmaking.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
