highlighter

noun

high·​light·​er ˈhī-ˌlī-tər 

plural highlighters

1

: a cosmetic for making facial features (such as the cheekbones) appear lighter or brighter

To enhance her natural beauty, the former model's complexion is glowing with a light, iridescent highlighter on her cheeks and a clear, glittery gloss on her lips.

—Nicole Saunders

2

: a pen with a broad felt tip and brightly colored transparent ink for marking selected passages in a text

At least 100 publications, from newspapers to scientific journals, come into the building daily, and the editors' scissors and highlighters are never idle.

—Keith Henderson

Examples of highlighter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This 2-in-1 product also replaces your usual highlighter, but feel free to layer on your favorite for a dramatic glow. —Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 9 Apr. 2024

Di Meo refers to this as the ultimate highlighter for an instant glasslike glow. —Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 26 Mar. 2024

Amazon Big Spring Sale 2024 Makeup Deals Nail your everyday look with Laura Gellar's neutral palette, which features six moody eye shadows, a versatile highlighter, and marbled formulas of blush and bronzer. —Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 20 Mar. 2024

Creamy and liquid highlighters like Charlotte Tilbury's Hollywood Beauty Light Wand in Spotlight and Vieve's Nova Glow Liquid Light will also add that ethereal radiance, while delicate powder highlighter's like MAC's Mineralize Skin Finish in Soft & Gentle can create a soft-focus sheen. —Elle Turner, Glamour, 18 Mar. 2024

Then, Scodelario uses her fingers to pat Charlotte Tilbury highlighter onto her cheekbones and the tip of her nose. —Jenny Berg, Vogue, 7 Mar. 2024

This face palette has all the bases covered, with six total blush, bronze and highlighter shades that work for all skin tones. —Celia Shatzman, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024

For the tween who wants some enhancement without too much color, these two nude shades can be used as a highlighter, eyeshadow, lipstick, and blush, all in one stick. —Rich Scherr, Parents, 9 Jan. 2024

And although the French house traditionally snips the ribbons of corsetry, this season marks a return to imperfect looks, with tulle, lace, and pleats married with hair bows and highlighters dancing atop cheekbones for their Spring-Summer 2024 collection. —India Espy-Jones, Essence, 23 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1963, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

highlighter

noun

high·​light·​er

: a pen with a broad felt tip and brightly colored transparent ink for marking selected passages in a text