lit
verb
a simple past tense and past participle of light.
Showing results for "lit"
- a variation of litas.
lit
1 American
[lit]
/ lɪt /
verb
adjective
-
Slang. under the influence of liquor or narcotics; intoxicated (usually followed byup ).
-
Slang. amazing; awesome; cool (used as a general term of approval).
Today's rally was really lit!
lit
2
American
[lit]
/ lɪt /
verb
lit
3
American
[lit]
/ lɪt /
noun
Informal.
lit
4
American
[lit]
/ lɪt /
noun
lit.
5
American
abbreviation
-
liter; liters.
-
literal.
-
literally.
-
literary.
-
literature.
Lit.
6
American
abbreviation
lit.
1
British
abbreviation
-
literal(ly)
-
literary
-
literature
lit
2
British
/ lɪt /
Etymology
Origin of lit1
First recorded in 1895–1900 in the sense “intoxicated”
Origin of lit3
First recorded in 1850–55; by shortening
Explanation
If something's lit, it's illuminated with light from a lamp or other source. Your romantic dinner table might be lit only with flickering candles. A well-lit room provides enough light for whatever task you need to to there — your kitchen might be lit with under-cabinet lights that shine on the counters, and your office might be lit with a desk lamp. Lit also means "set on fire," like a lit campfire or a glowing, lit stick of incense. If you're studying American literature in school, you might describe it using the colloquial shorthand, "American lit."
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.
Decathlete Rafer Johnson lit the Olympic flame in 1984 at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 11, 2026
In a video of the June 3 incident, obtained by TMZ, Robinson and her father are seen sitting next to a lit fire pit on the patio when Sandoval and the elder Robinson begin arguing.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 7, 2026
The news was confirmed on Friday evening by Swift's publicist, and at the same time, giant screens outside the arena lit up with the message: "JUST&T MARRIED!"
From BBC • Jul. 4, 2026
Their two-day wedding celebrations led news broadcasts, lit up the Empire State Building in NYC and spurred millions in online betting markets as details of their nuptials left people speculating for weeks.
From BBC • Jul. 4, 2026
Promised to take me to see it all lit up at night.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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.
