highlight

noun high·light \ ˈhī-ˌlīt \

Definition of highlight

1 :the lightest spot or area (as in a painting)

added highlights to the painting

has light brown hair with blond highlights

:any of several spots in a drawing or painting that receives the greatest amount of illumination

2 :something (such as an event or detail) that is of major significance or special interest

talked about the highlights of his trip to Europe

See highlight defined for English-language learners

See highlight defined for kids

Examples of highlight in a Sentence

I missed the game, but I saw the highlights on the evening news.

Recent Examples of highlight from the Web

Scores and highlights may be emailed to posttribsports@gmail.com Note: Schedules are subject to change because of weather and other factors.

— Post-Tribune, "Post-Tribune Local Scoreboard for Sunday, Aug. 20," 19 Aug. 2017
Another highlight of the fair was seeing Jack and Mary Armstrong, who first went on the Fair Board in 1932, honored for their service and longevity.

— john schickel, Cincinnati.com, "Column: Winning pickles, and making Kentucky policy," 12 Aug. 2017
For her, the encounter highlight was witnessing the reaction of the Korean actress.

— diane bell, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Great whites will never be teddy bears, but a biologist hopes to soften their image," 9 Aug. 2017
So much of the Heisman is about the highlights and stats, and there is something extra about a player who makes long touchdown runs and piles up rushing yards.

— gentry estes, The Courier-Journal, "Staff Roundtable: Can Lamar Jackson win another Heisman Trophy?," 7 Aug. 2017
One of the highlights of the show was a midair performance by the Air Combat Command F-22 Demonstration Team, based at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Watch an F-22A Raptor Strut Its Stuff at an Air Show," 4 Aug. 2017
Ingrid is an unstable, lonely woman who forms unhealthy attachments, and the current object of her affection is Taylor Sloane (Elizabeth Olsen), a lifestyle Instagrammer with a picture-perfect life, house, second house, husband, dog, and highlights.

— allison p. davis, The Cut, "The Nicest Evil Girl in the World," 1 Aug. 2017
Friday prayers are the highlight of the Muslim religious week.

— mohammed daraghmeh, The Seattle Times, "Clashes erupt at Jerusalem shrine as Muslims return to pray," 27 July 2017
The highlight of the opening weekend might come Sunday in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies.

— bob clancy, courant.com, "Saratoga, One Of America's Most Majestic Sports Venues, Opens For 149th Season," 20 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'highlight.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of highlight

1658

Other Fine Arts Terms

Gothic, baroque, bas-relief, limn, oeuvre, pastiche, rococo, sfumato

highlight

verb

Definition of highlight

highlighted; highlighting

transitive verb

1 :to throw a strong light on

highlighting featured merchandise on the shelves

2 a :to center attention on :emphasize, stress

The speech will highlight the need for education reform.

b :to constitute a significant or especially interesting part of :to constitute a highlight of

His trip to Europe was highlighted by a visit to Vatican City.

3 a :to mark (text) with a highlighter

b :to cause (something, such as text or an icon) to be displayed in a way that stands out on a computer screen

highlighted the sentence and deleted it

See highlight defined for English-language learners

Examples of highlight in a Sentence

Unfortunately, the media insisted upon highlighting his troubled past.
Our trip was highlighted by a great jazz concert we attended.
The students highlighted important vocabulary words in their textbooks.
Important names and dates in each chapter are highlighted.

Recent Examples of highlight from the Web

Two points from the studies should be highlighted, Loring and Bratt-Leal said by email.

— bradley j. fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Brain cell replacement for Parkinson's boosted by monkey study," 30 Aug. 2017
X-factor The Niners were highlighted more on the news pages and editorial pages than the sports pages last season with Colin Kapernick’s social statement on the sidelines and in the locker room.

— david humphrey, star-telegram, "A team-by-team preview of the 2017 NFL season," 25 Aug. 2017
The maestro plans to highlight another American composer of a different bent, as George Gershwin will likewise be remembered by the 44-member orchestra.

— bob kostanczuk, Post-Tribune, "American music sparks Labor Day weekend concert," 25 Aug. 2017
In a post-game interview, DeValve expressed that his action was to highlight the racial injustice that may one day affect his future children.

— lauren porter, Essence.com, "The First White NFL Player To Protest National Anthem Is Doing It For His Wife, Children," 22 Aug. 2017
Both proponents and opponents of the monument's current boundaries have highlighted its potential for oil and gas production.

— jennifer yachnin, Science | AAAS, "Trump team nears decision on national monuments," 18 Aug. 2017
Then came yesterday’s event, which was intended to move the conversation onto something normal and highlight a streamlining of infrastructure regulations.

— vanityfair.com, "Trump Is Ready to Go Down in Flames," 16 Aug. 2017
The Homewood annual Giant Block Party Aug. 19 will highlight a sweet treat.

— madeline galassi, Daily Southtown, "Homewood celebrates Giant Block Party Aug. 19," 11 Aug. 2017
Over the last several days, however, Damore has been adopted as a hero of the far right, which has highlighted his dismissal to support a broader narrative of progressivism run amok.

— maya kosoff, The Hive, "The Fired Google Engineer Is Doubling Down," 9 Aug. 2017

First Known Use of highlight

1881

highlight Synonyms

Synonyms

accent, accentuate, feature, foreground, emphasize, illuminate, play up, point (up), press, punctuate, stress

Antonyms

de-emphasize, play down

Related Words

focus, identify, pinpoint, spotlight; advertise, boost, plug, promote, publicize; overplay

Near Antonyms

tone (down), underemphasize, understate; belittle, discount, disparage, minimize

HIGHLIGHT Defined for English Language Learners

highlight

noun

Definition of highlight for English Language Learners

: something (such as an event or a detail) that is very interesting, exciting, or important : the best part of something
: a light spot or area

highlight

verb

Definition of highlight for English Language Learners

: to make or try to make people notice or be aware of (someone or something) : to direct attention to (someone or something)
: to be a very interesting, exciting, or important part of (something)
: to mark (something, such as text) with a bright color