alight

¹alight

intransitive verb \ə-ˈlīt\

alight·ed also alit\ə-ˈlit\alight·ing

Definition of ALIGHT

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

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

²alight

adjective

Definition of ALIGHT

1

chiefly British : being on fire

2

: lighted up

Examples of ALIGHT

1. The sky was alight with stars.
2. Enemy soldiers set the building alight.

First Known Use of ALIGHT

15th century

Related to ALIGHT

Synonyms

ablaze, bright, brightened, illuminated, illumined, light, lightsome, lit (or lighted)

Antonyms

blackened, dark, darkened, darkish, darkling, dimmed, dusk, dusky, lightless, pitch-black, pitch-dark, tenebrous, unlit

Related Words

floodlit (also floodlighted), highlighted, spotlighted (or spotlit); ignited, kindled; moonlit, shiny, sunlit, sunny, sunshiny

Near Antonyms

gloomy, somber (or sombre), sunless; cloudy, murky, obscured, shadowlike, shadowy; gray (also grey), leaden, pale; lightproof