light up
Britishverb
-
to light a cigarette, pipe, etc
-
to illuminate or cause to illuminate
-
to make or become cheerful or animated
-
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]
-
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.
Castillo and other relatives described Bostic as a jokester who would light up any room that he was in.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
A mile or so from the pads where Artemis II will light up the sky, Brenda Mulberry, owner of Space Shirts, has been selling Nasa T-shirts and souvenirs for 40 years.
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
The list of players of Surinamese heritage to light up European soccer is familiar to anyone who has watched the great Dutch sides of the past 40 years.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026
I felt something close to pride as I watched their eyes light up in realization: this was actually a very good sweet — not some leprechaunian trick.
From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026
He’s holding his light up toward the second floor but is staring at the nearest unicorn.
From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone
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.
