alight

¹alight

verb \ə-ˈlīt\

alight·ed also alit\ə-ˈlit\alight·ing

Definition of ALIGHT

intransitive verb

1

: to come down from something (as a vehicle): as a : dismount b : deplane

2

: to descend from or as if from the air and come to rest : land, settle

3

archaic : to come by chance

— alight·ment noun

Examples of ALIGHT

1. A group of tourists alighted from the boat.
2. <a flock of eight swans circled above, then alighted on the pond>

Origin of ALIGHT

Middle English, from Old English ālīhtan, from ā- (perfective prefix) + līhtan to alight — more at abide, light

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to ALIGHT

Synonyms: land, light, perch, roost, settle, touch down

Antonyms: blast off, take off

Related Words: belly-land, crash-land

Near Antonyms: arise, ascend, climb, rise; float, fly, glide, plane, soar, wing; hang, hover

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Rhymes with ALIGHT

affright, air right, airtight, albite, Albright, all right, all-night, a mite, aright, backbite, backlight, bauxite, bedight, birthright, black light, bleed white, bobwhite, bombsight, box kite, calcite, campsite, catfight, cockfight, contrite, cordite, Cushite, daylight, deadlight, delight, dendrite, despite, dogfight, downlight, downright, droplight, dust mite, earthlight, excite, eyebright, eyesight, fanlight, felsite, ferrite, finite, fire blight, firefight, firelight, first night, fistfight, flashlight, fleabite, floodlight, foresight, forthright, fortnight, freewrite, frostbite, Gadite, gall mite, gaslight, gastight, ghostwrite, goethite, graphite, green light, gummite, gunfight, half-light, halite, Hamite, handwrite, headlight, highlight, hindsight, Hittite, homesite, hoplite, Hussite, ignite, illite, infight, in-flight, incite, indict, indite, insight, in sight, invite, jacklight, jadeite, key light, lamplight, late blight, leucite, Levite, lighttight, lignite, limelight, lintwhite, lowlight, Lucite, Luddite, lyddite, marmite, Melchite, Memphite, midnight, millwright, moonlight, New Right, night-light, nitrite, off-site, off-white, on sight, on-site, outright, outsight, partite, peep sight, penlight, perlite, playwright, polite, preflight, prizefight, pyrite, quartzite, ratite, recite, red light, red-light, requite, respite, rewrite, rushlight, rust mite, safelight, samite, searchlight, Semite, Servite, Shemite, Shiite, shipwright, sidelight, sit tight, skintight, skylight, skywrite, slant height, smectite, snakebite, snow-white, sound bite, spaceflight, spotlight, stage fright, starlight, sternite, sticktight, stoplight, streetlight, stylite, sulfite, sunlight, Sunnite, taillight, termite, thermite, tonight, torchlight, trothplight, Twelfth Night, twilight, twi-night, typewrite, unite, unsight, upright, uptight, wainwright, watch night, wax light, Web site, weeknight, wheelwright, white flight, white knight, x-height, zinc white