1
chiefly British
: being on fire
2
: lighted up
The sky was alight with stars.
Examples of alight in a Sentence
Verb
A group of tourists alighted from the boat.
a flock of eight swans circled above, then alighted on the pond
Adjective
The sky was alight with stars.
Enemy soldiers set the building alight.
Recent Examples on the Web
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025
The Super Beetle, called the 1301, alighted in 1971 with a 60 hp, 1,585 cc engine.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 12 Sep. 2025
Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
Five vehicles were set alight in the area of Bill Hughes Park, 1600 Parkside Way, in the space of 10 days, Roseville police said.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for alight
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Verb
The colors are richly saturated, and when something catches Ryan’s eye—say, a bee alighting on a wildflower—the images shimmer with an almost radioactive intensity.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025
The Super Beetle, called the 1301, alighted in 1971 with a 60 hp, 1,585 cc engine.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Surveillance teams outside the museum prevented the suspects from setting their vehicle alight but could not prevent their escape on scooters along the banks of the Seine.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
Five vehicles were set alight in the area of Bill Hughes Park, 1600 Parkside Way, in the space of 10 days, Roseville police said.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for alight
Cite this Entry
“Alight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alight. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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