spotlight

¹spot·light

noun \ˈspät-ˌlīt\

Definition of SPOTLIGHT

1

a : a projected spot of light used to illuminate brilliantly a person, object, or group on a stage

b : public notice or attention <held the political spotlight>

2

a : a light designed to direct a narrow intense beam of light on a small area

b : something that illuminates brilliantly

Examples of SPOTLIGHT

1. They aimed the spotlight at the center of the stage.
2. A spotlight moved across the stage.
3. The actor stood in the spotlight.
4. a baseball star who hates the spotlight
5. They're always in the spotlight.
6. The news article turned the spotlight on the city's financial problems.

First Known Use of SPOTLIGHT

1904

Related to SPOTLIGHT

Synonyms

catbird seat, limelight, center stage, top billing

Related Words

front burner; attention, heed, notice

Near Antonyms

back burner

Rhymes with SPOTLIGHT

affright, air right, airtight, albite, Albright, alight, 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, 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

²spotlight

transitive verb

spotlight·ed or -litspotlight·ing

Definition of SPOTLIGHT

1

: to illuminate with a spotlight

2

: to direct attention to : highlight

Examples of SPOTLIGHT

1. She was spotlighted as she sang her solo.
2. The news spotlighted the city's financial problems.

First Known Use of SPOTLIGHT

1922