1
: the flashing of light produced by a discharge of atmospheric electricity
also
: the discharge itself
2
: a sudden stroke of fortune
… candidates … hoping for real lightning to strike …—
Time
Time
: having or moving with or as if with the speed and suddenness of lightning
a lightning assault
Examples of lightning in a Sentence
Adjective
thoughts moving at lightning speed
he made a lightning dash for the goal
Recent Examples on the Web
Daniel Dylan Wray, Pitchfork, 5 Nov. 2025
Partially funded by the Boeing Company, one of the largest aerospace companies in the world, the project aims to help future aircraft designs integrate lightning protection systems more efficiently from the start of the engineering process.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2025
Dallas News, 3 Jan. 2023
This approach is still not lightning quick; red kidney beans take longer to get tender than many varieties.
—Joe Yonan, Washington Post, 11 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for lightning
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Noun
But the volume and intensity of the songs—with thumping sub-bass and lightning-crack drums—were visceral.
—Daniel Dylan Wray, Pitchfork, 5 Nov. 2025
Partially funded by the Boeing Company, one of the largest aerospace companies in the world, the project aims to help future aircraft designs integrate lightning protection systems more efficiently from the start of the engineering process.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
As art, the districts are a whimsical collection of fire-breathing dragons, lightning bolts and doodlebugs.
—Dallas News, 3 Jan. 2023
This approach is still not lightning quick; red kidney beans take longer to get tender than many varieties.
—Joe Yonan, Washington Post, 11 Dec. 2022
See All Example Sentences for lightning
Cite this Entry
“Lightning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lightning. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lightning
1 of 2 noun
light·ning
ˈlīt-niŋ 
: the flashing of light produced by a discharge of atmospheric electricity from one cloud to another or between a cloud and the earth
also
: the discharge itself
lightning
2 of 2 adjective
: moving or done with or as if with the speed of lightning
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