Synonyms of alight

alight 1 of 2

adjective

1

as in illuminated

filled with much light

we approached the clearing, alight with torches, and observed a reenactment of ancient rites by Druids

Synonyms & Similar Words

• illuminated
• lit
• illumined
• light
• bright
• brightened
• ablaze
• lightsome
• ignited
• highlighted
• shiny
• kindled
• spotlighted
• sunny
• floodlit
• moonlit
• sunlit
• sunshiny

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• darkened
• blackened
• dusk
• dark
• dusky
• unlit
• dimmed
• darkling
• lightless
• pitch-dark
• pitch-black
• darkish
• gloomy
• somber
• obscured
• shadowy
• pale
• tenebrous
• cloudy
• leaden
• murky
• gray
• sunless
• shadowlike
• lightproof

2

as in burning

chiefly British being on fire

the pub, one of London's oldest, was completely alight by the time firefighters arrived

Synonyms & Similar Words

• burning
• blazing
• flaming
• aflame
• lit
• flickering
• ignited
• afire
• smoldering
• kindled
• burned
• fiery
• inflamed
• glowing
• charred
• ablaze
• combusting
• aglow
• conflagrant
• live
• flaring
• searing
• scorching
• scorched
• hot
• sizzling
• broiling
• seared
• roasting
• singed
• red-hot
• piping hot
• scalding
• incinerated

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• extinguished
• quenched
• dead
• choked
• smothered
• damped
• stamped (out)
• snuffed (out)
• doused
• suffocated

alight

2 of 2

verb

ə-ˈlīt 

1

as in to perch

to come to rest after descending from the air

a flock of eight swans circled above, then alighted on the pond

Synonyms & Similar Words

• perch
• land
• light
• roost
• touch down
• settle
• crash-land
• belly-land

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rise
• arise
• take off
• ascend
• climb
• plane
• fly
• wing
• soar
• float
• blast off
• glide
• hang
• hover

2

as in to descend

to come down from something (as a vehicle)

as she alighted from the train, she momentarily lost her footing

Synonyms & Similar Words

• descend
• dismount
• disembark
• light
• get down
• detrain
• deplane

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• embark
• get in
• mount
• board
• climb (aboard)
• entrain
• enplane

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of alight

Adjective

Demonstrations last week erupted into violence, including mass looting and cars being set alight, resulting in more than 2,000 arrests. — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026

In Tirana this week, protesters smashed windows, set alight ​government buildings and clashed with police. — Reuters, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026

Verb

This shimmering, sonorous work, from one of our greatest living directors, moves through the peculiar landscapes of human interaction with certainty, eccentricity and grace, alighting on a generous if rueful conclusion. — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 6 Sep. 2026

Once a recipe is chosen, clientele relax; zoning out in nearby chairs as glass tubes alight and the machine purrs from within. — Rebecca Leib, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026