Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

Thesaurus

light

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of light

1 the steady giving off of the form of radiation that makes vision possible
  • He read poetry to her by the light of the moon.
Synonyms of light

blaze, flare, fluorescence, glare, gleam, glow, illumination, incandescence, luminescence, radiance, shine
Words Related to light

flash, glimmer, glint, glitter, scintillation, shimmer, sparkle, twinkle

daylight, moonlight, sunlight, sunshine

afterglow, aureole (or aureola), aurora, beam, halo, ray, shaft, streak, stream, sunbeam

glisten, gloss, luster (or lustre), polish, reflection, sheen
Near Antonyms of light

blackness, dark, darkness, dimness, dusk, duskiness, gloom, night, shadow
2 something that provides illumination
  • Please turn off the light when you go to bed.
Synonyms of light

beacon, illuminant, lamp
Words Related to light

arc lamp (also arc light), candelabra, candelabrum, candle, chandelier, flare, flash, flashlight, floodlight, fluorescent lamp, gaslight, headlight, incandescent lamp, klieg light (or kleig light), lantern, light bulb, lighting, sconce, spotlight, streetlight, sun lamp
3 a person who is widely known and usually much talked about
  • a leading light in the acting profession
Synonyms of light

cause célèbre (also cause celebre), celeb, celebrity, figure, icon (also ikon), luminary, megastar, name, notability, notable, notoriety, personage, personality, somebody, standout, star, superstar, VIP
Words Related to light

favorite, heartthrob, hero, idol

demigod, dignitary, eminence, immortal, monument, pillar, worthy

baron, big shot, bigwig, kahuna, magnate, mogul, nabob, panjandrum
Near Antonyms of light

lightweight, mediocrity

has-been
Antonyms of light

nobody, noncelebrity
4 the first appearance of light in the morning or the time of its appearance
  • Things will look different by the light of day.
Synonyms of light

dawn, dawning, day, daybreak, daylight, morn, morning, sun, sunrise, sunup
Words Related to light

daytime

forenoon
Near Antonyms of light

dark, darkness, midnight, night, nighttime

afternoon, midday

dusk, evening, eventide, gloaming, twilight
Antonyms of light

nightfall, sundown, sunset
1

light

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of light

1 having little weight
  • The suitcase was as light as a feather after all the clothes were removed.
Synonyms of light

featherlight, feathery, lightweight, underweight, weightless
Words Related to light

bantam, diminutive, little, minute, puny, small, smallish, tiny, undersized (also undersize), wee

flimsy, fragile, insubstantial

petite, slender, slight, slim, thin
Near Antonyms of light

big, considerable, extensive, goodly, great, handsome, huge, hulking, jumbo, king-size (or king-sized), large, largish, massive, overscale (or overscaled), oversize (or oversized), sizable (or sizeable), substantial, super, voluminous, whacking

bulky, cumbersome, unwieldy
Antonyms of light

heavy, hefty, leaden, overweight, ponderous, weighty
2 involving minimal difficulty or effort
  • A little light work was all it took to straighten up the room.
Synonyms of light

cheap, downhill, easy, effortless, facile, fluent, fluid, hands-down, painless, ready, royal, simple, smooth, snap, soft
Words Related to light

idiotproof, mindless, quick, straightforward, unchallenging, uncomplicated

apparent, clear, clear-cut, distinct, evident, manifest, obvious, open-and-shut, palpable, patent, perspicuous, plain, transparent, unambiguous, unequivocal, unmistakable
Near Antonyms of light

burdensome, exhausting, onerous, oppressive, painful, stressful, taxing, troublesome

abstruse, complex, complicated, intricate, involved, knotty, problematic (also problematical), recondite
Antonyms of light

arduous, demanding, difficult, exacting, formidable, grueling (or gruelling), hard, herculean, killer, labored, laborious, murderous, rough, severe, stiff, strenuous, toilful, toilsome, tough
3 less plentiful than what is normal, necessary, or desirable
  • Traffic on the highway seems to be very light today.
Synonyms of light

exiguous, hand-to-mouth, meager (or meagre), niggardly, poor, scant, scanty, scarce, skimpy, slender, slim, spare, sparing, sparse, stingy
Words Related to light

deficient, inadequate, insufficient, lacking, short, wanting

bare, bare-bones

least, littlest, lowest, mere, minimal, slightest
Phrases Synonymous with light

thin on the ground
Near Antonyms of light

adequate, enough, satisfactory, sufficient, tolerable

fat, fecund, fertile, fruitful, prolific, rich

lavish, luxuriant

excess, extra, surplus
Antonyms of light

abundant, ample, bountiful, copious, generous, liberal, plenteous, plentiful
4 moving easily
  • The dancer was exceptionally light on her feet.
Synonyms of light

agile, feline, graceful, light-footed (also light-foot), lightsome, lissome (also lissom), lithe, lithesome, nimble, spry
Words Related to light

acrobatic, flexible, limber, loose-jointed, pliable, pliant, supple

adroit, deft, dexterous (also dextrous), light-fingered

fleet-footed, sure-footed

athletic, balletic, coordinated
Near Antonyms of light

uncoordinated

inflexible, rigid, stiff

bungling, inept, maladroit
Antonyms of light

awkward, clumsy, gawky, graceless, klutzy, lumbering, ungainly, ungraceful
5 not harsh or stern especially in nature or effect
  • light punishment to fit a minor offense
Synonyms of light

balmy, benign, bland, delicate, gentle, mellow, mild, nonabrasive, soft, soothing, tender
Words Related to light

calm, pacific, peaceful, placid, quiet, serene, tranquil

clement, compassionate, easy, lenient, merciful

buffering, cushioning, emollient, softening

sleek, slick, smooth
Near Antonyms of light

exquisite, fierce, intense, powerful, severe

forceful, forcible, savage, violent

roughened, rugged, strong

abrading, irritating, roughening

grim, gruff, rude, stiff

heavy-handed, oppressive, pitiless, tyrannical (also tyrannic)
Antonyms of light

abrasive, caustic, coarse, hard, harsh, rough, scathing, stern, ungentle
6 resembling air in lightness
  • The waves had an especially light foam at their crests because of the strong breeze.
Synonyms of light

airy, ethereal, fluffy, gossamer, gossamery
Words Related to light

cobwebby, dainty, delicate, diaphanous, downy, feathery, flimsy, gauzelike, gauzy, insubstantial, tender, wispy

buoyant, lighter-than-air, lightweight, rarefied, unsubstantial, weightless

pillowy
Near Antonyms of light

firm, solid, substantial

bulky, burdensome, cumbersome, hefty, hulking, lumpish, ponderous, unwieldy, weighty
Antonyms of light

heavy, leaden

Synonym Discussion of light

easy, facile, simple, light, effortless, smooth mean not demanding effort or involving difficulty. easy is applicable either to persons or things imposing tasks or to activity required by such tasks.
    • an easy college course
facile often adds to easy the connotation of undue haste or shallowness.
    • facile answers to complex questions
simple stresses ease in understanding or dealing with because complication is absent.
    • a simple problem in arithmetic
light stresses freedom from what is burdensome.
    • a light teaching load
effortless stresses the appearance of ease and usually implies the prior attainment of artistry or expertness.
    • moving with effortless grace
smooth stresses the absence or removal of all difficulties, hardships, or obstacles.
    • a smooth ride
2

light

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of light

1 filled with much light
  • The light, airy room is exceptionally cheerful.
Synonyms of light

ablaze, alight, bright, brightened, illuminated, illumined, lightsome, lit (or lighted)
Words Related to light

floodlit (also floodlighted), highlighted, spotlighted (or spotlit)

ignited, kindled

moonlit, shiny, sunlit, sunny, sunshiny
Near Antonyms of light

gloomy, somber (or sombre), sunless

cloudy, murky, obscured, shadowlike, shadowy

gray (also grey), leaden, pale

lightproof
Antonyms of light

blackened, dark, darkened, darkish, darkling, dimmed, dusk, dusky, lightless, pitch-black, pitch-dark, tenebrous, unlit
2 lacking intensity of color
  • We painted the walls a light blue.
Synonyms of light

dull, dulled, faded, pale, pastel, washed-out, washy
Words Related to light

flat, lackluster, lusterless, matte (also mat)

dim, faint

dirty, muddy

achromatic, colorless, uncolored, undyed, unpainted, unstained

blanched, bleached, washed, white, whitened

gray (also grey), indistinct, neutral
Near Antonyms of light

bright, brilliant, vibrant, vivid

chromatic, colored, dyed, painted, stained, tinged, tinted

colorful, motley, multicolored, polychromatic, polychrome, prismatic, rainbow, varicolored, variegated

flashy, garish, gaudy, loud, showy, splashy
Antonyms of light

dark, deep, gay, rich
3 of light complexion
  • Her light skin tends to freckle easily in the sun.
Synonyms of light

fair
Words Related to light

ashen, ashy, pale, paled, palish, pallid, pasty, peaked, peaky, sallow, sallowish, wan, white
Antonyms of light

dark, swart, swarthy

Synonym Discussion of light

easy, facile, simple, light, effortless, smooth mean not demanding effort or involving difficulty. easy is applicable either to persons or things imposing tasks or to activity required by such tasks.
    • an easy college course
facile often adds to easy the connotation of undue haste or shallowness.
    • facile answers to complex questions
simple stresses ease in understanding or dealing with because complication is absent.
    • a simple problem in arithmetic
light stresses freedom from what is burdensome.
    • a light teaching load
effortless stresses the appearance of ease and usually implies the prior attainment of artistry or expertness.
    • moving with effortless grace
smooth stresses the absence or removal of all difficulties, hardships, or obstacles.
    • a smooth ride
1

light

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of light

1 to set (something) on fire
  • We lit the kindling before adding the heavier logs.
Synonyms of light

burn, enkindle, fire, ignite, inflame (also enflame), kindle, torch
Words Related to light

immolate

char, frizzle, scorch

bake, broil, cook

ash, cremate, incinerate, kiln

set off

brighten, illuminate, illumine, irradiate, lighten, radiate

scald, scathe, sear

reignite, rekindle, relight

bank, stoke
Near Antonyms of light

choke, smother, suffocate

stamp (out)

blacken, darken, dim, dull, obscure
Antonyms of light

douse (also dowse), extinguish, put out, quench, snuff (out)
2 to supply with light
  • The lights from the TV cameras will light this room as though it were high noon.
Synonyms of light

bathe, beacon, emblaze, illume, illuminate, illumine, irradiate, lighten
Words Related to light

brighten

beam, beat (down), radiate, shine

enhalo, halo

floodlight

highlight, spotlight

blaze, burn, fire, flame, glare, glow, ignite, incinerate, kindle

bedazzle, blind, daze, dazzle

gleam, glisten, glitter
Near Antonyms of light

dim, dull, obscure

cover, shroud, veil

douse (also dowse), extinguish, put out, quench, snuff (out)
Antonyms of light

blacken, darken, obfuscate
2

light

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of light

1 to come to rest after descending from the air
  • The bird lit on the branch and began to sing.
Synonyms of light

alight, land, perch, roost, settle, touch down
Words Related to light

belly-land, crash-land
Near Antonyms of light

arise, ascend, climb, rise

float, fly, glide, plane, soar, wing

hang, hover
Antonyms of light

blast off, take off
2 to come down from something (as a vehicle)
  • He hurriedly lighted from the bus and started walking up the street.
Synonyms of light

alight, descend, disembark, dismount, get down
Words Related to light

deplane, detrain
Near Antonyms of light

board, climb (aboard), get in, mount

enplane (also emplane), entrain
Antonyms of light

embark

Learn More about light

  1. See words that rhyme with light Dictionary: Definition of light Medical Dictionary: Definition of light Spanish Central: Translation of light Nglish: Translation of light for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of light for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up light? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games