lit

¹ American  

[lit] / lɪt /

verb

1. a simple past tense and past participle of light.

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adjective

1. Slang. under the influence of liquor or narcotics; intoxicated (usually followed byup ).

2. Slang. amazing; awesome; cool (used as a general term of approval).

   Today's rally was really lit!

lit ² American  

[lit] / lɪt /

verb

1. a simple past tense and past participle of light.

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lit ³ American  

[lit] / lɪt /

noun

Informal.

1. literature.

   a college course in English lit.

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lit ⁴ American  

[lit] / lɪt /

noun

1. litas.

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lit. ⁵ American  

abbreviation

1. liter; liters.

2. literal.

3. literally.

4. literary.

5. literature.

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Lit. ⁶ American  

abbreviation

1. (in Italy) lira; lire.

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lit. ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. literal(ly)

2. literary

3. literature

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lit ² British  

/ lɪt /

verb

1. a past tense and past participle of light 1

2. an alternative past tense and past participle of light 2

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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

Today, Timon sits in a softly lit studio, looking at a photograph from one of their final concerts in Khartoum.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

Following an historic election result that unceremoniously booted Prime Minister Viktor Orbán out after 16 years in government, the bridge was lit up in green, white and red - the colours of the Hungarian flag.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Then the stage lit up to show a carved-out cave in a cliffside, housing an absolutely killer all-femme backing band in the grotto and a full company of dancers in every hue of the Americas.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

So we spent 45 minutes in a dimly lit room riding stationary bikes at intense speeds while an instructor shouted affirmations from the front of the room.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

The panel lit up green around his palm and the door slid open, revealing a large, well-lit walkway.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Related Words

• stoned
• tipsy