"light up" meaning in English

See light up in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Audio: En-au-light up.ogg [Australia] Forms: lights up [present, singular, third-person], lighting up [participle, present], lit up [participle, past], lit up [past], lighted up [participle, past, rare], lighted up [past, rare]
Etymology: Phrasal verb from light (“to make bright, ignite”, verb) + up (“to a higher degree”, adverb). Etymology templates: {{affix|en|light|up|nocat=1|pos1=verb|pos2=adverb|t1=to make bright, ignite|t2=to a higher degree}} light (“to make bright, ignite”, verb) + up (“to a higher degree”, adverb) Head templates: {{en-verb|light<,,lit> up|past2=lighted up|past2_qual=rare|past_ptc2=lighted up|past_ptc2_qual=rare}} light up (third-person singular simple present lights up, present participle lighting up, simple past and past participle lit up or (rare) lighted up)
  1. (transitive) To illuminate, to bring light to something, to brighten. Tags: transitive Synonyms: lighten Translations (to bring light to something): valaista (Finnish), acender (Galician), incendō (Latin), beliichten (Luxembourgish), tlāhuīlia (Nahuatl), ilumina (Romanian), lumina (Romanian), свети́ть (svetítʹ) [imperfective] (Russian), освети́ть (osvetítʹ) [perfective] (Russian), iluminar (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-light_up-en-verb-BNlsxFdS Disambiguation of 'to bring light to something': 63 10 1 7 6 0 7 3 2
  2. (intransitive) To start to emit light; to become activated as a light source. Tags: intransitive Derived forms: lighting-up time, light someone's ass up, light up a room, light up like a Christmas tree, light up someone's ass Related terms: lighten up Translations (to become light): valjeta (Finnish), lumina (Romanian), свети́ться (svetítʹsja) [imperfective] (Russian), освети́ться (osvetítʹsja) [perfective] (Russian), светле́ть (svetlétʹ) [imperfective] (Russian), просветле́ть (prosvetlétʹ) [perfective] (Russian), загора́ться (zagorátʹsja) [imperfective] (Russian), загоре́ться (zagorétʹsja) [perfective] (Russian)
    Sense id: en-light_up-en-verb-btkrz0HE Disambiguation of 'to become light': 15 50 3 10 10 0 9 1 1
  3. (intransitive, figuratively) To show an increase in activity or a brightening of mood. Tags: figuratively, intransitive
    Sense id: en-light_up-en-verb-Qs-8r-cK
  4. (transitive) To ignite. Tags: transitive
    Sense id: en-light_up-en-verb-CCtt8dKH
  5. (intransitive) To light a cigarette, pipe, etc. Tags: intransitive Translations (to light a cigarette, etc.): panna tupakaksi (Finnish), прику́ривать (prikúrivatʹ) [imperfective] (Russian), прикури́ть (prikurítʹ) [perfective] (Russian), зажига́ть (zažigátʹ) [imperfective] (Russian), заже́чь (zažéčʹ) [perfective] (Russian)
    Sense id: en-light_up-en-verb-eUr5Hpj~ Disambiguation of 'to light a cigarette, etc.': 6 10 0 7 72 0 5 0 0
  6. (transitive) To make happy. Tags: transitive
    Sense id: en-light_up-en-verb-LPM4RlgN
  7. (transitive, slang) To open fire on a target or group of targets, especially with rockets, a flamethrower etc. Tags: slang, transitive Categories (topical): Smoking, Violence
    Sense id: en-light_up-en-verb-eKnbHLwg Disambiguation of Smoking: 5 6 8 4 4 4 28 15 12 15 Disambiguation of Violence: 4 5 8 3 3 3 36 13 10 13
  8. (chiefly US, transitive, slang) To shock (someone) with a stun gun. Tags: US, slang, transitive
    Sense id: en-light_up-en-verb-Bsf41smn Categories (other): American English, English entries with incorrect language header, English entries with topic categories using raw markup, English phrasal verbs with particle (up), English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 2 9 3 3 1 1 2 29 21 29 Disambiguation of English entries with topic categories using raw markup: 3 8 3 4 1 1 2 40 20 19 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs with particle (up): 4 9 6 5 3 3 5 23 18 25 Disambiguation of English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys: 3 7 3 2 1 1 3 31 25 24
  9. (chiefly US, transitive, slang) To activate the emergency sirens on a police vehicle in order to pull someone over. Tags: US, slang, transitive
    Sense id: en-light_up-en-verb-ROemueny Categories (other): American English, English entries with incorrect language header, English entries with language name categories using raw markup, English phrasal verbs with particle (up) Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 2 9 3 3 1 1 2 29 21 29 Disambiguation of English entries with language name categories using raw markup: 2 8 4 3 1 1 2 25 33 22 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs with particle (up): 4 9 6 5 3 3 5 23 18 25
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 1

Verb

Audio: En-au-light up.ogg [Australia] Forms: lights up [present, singular, third-person], lighting up [participle, present], lighted up [participle, past], lighted up [past]
Etymology: Phrasal verb from light (“to make less heavy”, verb) + up (“to a higher degree”, adverb). Etymology templates: {{affix|en|light|up|nocat=1|pos1=verb|pos2=adverb|t1=to make less heavy|t2=to a higher degree}} light (“to make less heavy”, verb) + up (“to a higher degree”, adverb) Head templates: {{en-verb|*}} light up (third-person singular simple present lights up, present participle lighting up, simple past and past participle lighted up)
  1. (transitive, nautical) To loosen, slacken, or ease off. Tags: transitive Categories (topical): Nautical
    Sense id: en-light_up-en-verb-NsT7SSLg Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English phrasal verbs with particle (up) Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 2 9 3 3 1 1 2 29 21 29 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs with particle (up): 4 9 6 5 3 3 5 23 18 25 Topics: nautical, transport
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 2

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for light up meaning in English (15.3kB)

{
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "light",
        "3": "up",
        "nocat": "1",
        "pos1": "verb",
        "pos2": "adverb",
        "t1": "to make bright, ignite",
        "t2": "to a higher degree"
      },
      "expansion": "light (“to make bright, ignite”, verb) + up (“to a higher degree”, adverb)",
      "name": "affix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Phrasal verb from light (“to make bright, ignite”, verb) + up (“to a higher degree”, adverb).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "lights up",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "lighting up",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "lit up",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "lit up",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "lighted up",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past",
        "rare"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "lighted up",
      "tags": [
        "past",
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "light<,,lit> up",
        "past2": "lighted up",
        "past2_qual": "rare",
        "past_ptc2": "lighted up",
        "past_ptc2_qual": "rare"
      },
      "expansion": "light up (third-person singular simple present lights up, present participle lighting up, simple past and past participle lit up or (rare) lighted up)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "Episode 12, The Cyclops",
          "text": "The deafening claps of thunder and the dazzling flashes of lightning which lit up the ghastly scene testified that the artillery of heaven had lent its supernatural pomp to the already gruesome spectacle."
        },
        {
          "ref": "2001, J. Stewart Burns, “Roswell That Ends Well”, in Futurama, season 3, episode 19, spoken by Philip J. Fry (Billy West)",
          "text": "I've never seen a supernova blow up, but if it's anything like my old Chevy Nova, it'll light up the night sky.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2020 April 22, “Network News: Glenfinnan turns blue to honour NHS workers”, in Rail, page 9",
          "text": "The illumination was organised by Martin Whyte from events company The Stage Group, fulfilling a long-held ambition of his to light up the 21-arch Scottish structure.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To illuminate, to bring light to something, to brighten."
      ],
      "id": "en-light_up-en-verb-BNlsxFdS",
      "links": [
        [
          "illuminate",
          "illuminate"
        ],
        [
          "light",
          "light"
        ],
        [
          "brighten",
          "brighten"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To illuminate, to bring light to something, to brighten."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "lighten"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "63 10 1 7 6 0 7 3 2",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to bring light to something",
          "word": "valaista"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "63 10 1 7 6 0 7 3 2",
          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "sense": "to bring light to something",
          "word": "acender"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "63 10 1 7 6 0 7 3 2",
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "to bring light to something",
          "word": "incendō"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "63 10 1 7 6 0 7 3 2",
          "code": "lb",
          "lang": "Luxembourgish",
          "sense": "to bring light to something",
          "word": "beliichten"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "63 10 1 7 6 0 7 3 2",
          "code": "nah",
          "lang": "Nahuatl",
          "sense": "to bring light to something",
          "word": "tlāhuīlia"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "63 10 1 7 6 0 7 3 2",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "to bring light to something",
          "word": "ilumina"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "63 10 1 7 6 0 7 3 2",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "to bring light to something",
          "word": "lumina"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "63 10 1 7 6 0 7 3 2",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "svetítʹ",
          "sense": "to bring light to something",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "свети́ть"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "63 10 1 7 6 0 7 3 2",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "osvetítʹ",
          "sense": "to bring light to something",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "освети́ть"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "63 10 1 7 6 0 7 3 2",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to bring light to something",
          "word": "iluminar"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "derived": [
        {
          "_dis1": "17 27 0 19 22 0 14 0 0",
          "word": "lighting-up time"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "17 27 0 19 22 0 14 0 0",
          "word": "light someone's ass up"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "17 27 0 19 22 0 14 0 0",
          "word": "light up a room"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "17 27 0 19 22 0 14 0 0",
          "word": "light up like a Christmas tree"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "17 27 0 19 22 0 14 0 0",
          "word": "light up someone's ass"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2009, President Nixon's Pilot, Jim Bell, in The Propinquity Effect →ISBN",
          "text": "When we cranked up the engine, the fire warning light lit up."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To start to emit light; to become activated as a light source."
      ],
      "id": "en-light_up-en-verb-btkrz0HE",
      "links": [
        [
          "start",
          "start"
        ],
        [
          "emit",
          "emit"
        ],
        [
          "light",
          "light"
        ],
        [
          "activated",
          "activated"
        ],
        [
          "light source",
          "light source"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To start to emit light; to become activated as a light source."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "_dis1": "17 27 0 19 22 0 14 0 0",
          "word": "lighten up"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "15 50 3 10 10 0 9 1 1",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to become light",
          "word": "valjeta"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "15 50 3 10 10 0 9 1 1",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "to become light",
          "word": "lumina"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "15 50 3 10 10 0 9 1 1",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "svetítʹsja",
          "sense": "to become light",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "свети́ться"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "15 50 3 10 10 0 9 1 1",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "osvetítʹsja",
          "sense": "to become light",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "освети́ться"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "15 50 3 10 10 0 9 1 1",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "svetlétʹ",
          "sense": "to become light",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "светле́ть"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "15 50 3 10 10 0 9 1 1",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "prosvetlétʹ",
          "sense": "to become light",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "просветле́ть"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "15 50 3 10 10 0 9 1 1",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "zagorátʹsja",
          "sense": "to become light",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "загора́ться"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "15 50 3 10 10 0 9 1 1",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "zagorétʹsja",
          "sense": "to become light",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "загоре́ться"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1956 [1880], Johanna Spyri, Heidi, translation of original by Eileen Hall, page 84",
          "text": "Clara's eyes lit up at this highly unusual occurrence.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "text": "He saw Mary and his face lit up."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To show an increase in activity or a brightening of mood."
      ],
      "id": "en-light_up-en-verb-Qs-8r-cK",
      "links": [
        [
          "increase",
          "increase"
        ],
        [
          "activity",
          "activity"
        ],
        [
          "brightening",
          "brightening"
        ],
        [
          "mood",
          "mood"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, figuratively) To show an increase in activity or a brightening of mood."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively",
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "To ignite."
      ],
      "id": "en-light_up-en-verb-CCtt8dKH",
      "links": [
        [
          "ignite",
          "ignite"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To ignite."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1962 December, “Motive Power Miscellany: North Eastern Region”, in Modern Railways, pages 422, 425",
          "text": "On the morning after the one-day strike, October 4, one of the Type 4s on crew-training, No. D169, was appropriated to head the 3 a.m. mail to Hull, as no steam locomotive had been lit up and the usual Hull Type 3 was not available; [...].",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2019, Bernardine Evaristo, Girl, Woman, Other, Penguin Books (2020), page 15",
          "text": "where a group of women rolled up to enjoy the free plonk and spill out on to the pavement to light up and chat each other up",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "text": "Smoking in this building is not allowed, so I always step outside to light up."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To light a cigarette, pipe, etc."
      ],
      "id": "en-light_up-en-verb-eUr5Hpj~",
      "links": [
        [
          "light",
          "light"
        ],
        [
          "cigarette",
          "cigarette"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To light a cigarette, pipe, etc."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "6 10 0 7 72 0 5 0 0",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to light a cigarette, etc.",
          "word": "panna tupakaksi"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "6 10 0 7 72 0 5 0 0",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "prikúrivatʹ",
          "sense": "to light a cigarette, etc.",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "прику́ривать"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "6 10 0 7 72 0 5 0 0",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "prikurítʹ",
          "sense": "to light a cigarette, etc.",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "прикури́ть"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "6 10 0 7 72 0 5 0 0",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "zažigátʹ",
          "sense": "to light a cigarette, etc.",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "зажига́ть"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "6 10 0 7 72 0 5 0 0",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "zažéčʹ",
          "sense": "to light a cigarette, etc.",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "заже́чь"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2001, Ash, Shining Light",
          "text": "You are a shining light, and you light up my life.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, WLTX.com, Young Girl Continues Bike Giveaway Tradition, 25 Nov 2010",
          "text": "\"It lights me up, make me happy. Sometimes I go home, go in my room and cry with joy,\"said Hudson smiling"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To make happy."
      ],
      "id": "en-light_up-en-verb-LPM4RlgN",
      "links": [
        [
          "happy",
          "happy"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To make happy."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "5 6 8 4 4 4 28 15 12 15",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Smoking",
          "orig": "en:Smoking",
          "parents": [
            "Human behaviour",
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "4 5 8 3 3 3 36 13 10 13",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Violence",
          "orig": "en:Violence",
          "parents": [
            "Human behaviour",
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2007 September 25, Bungie, Halo 3, spoken by Marcus Stacker (Pete Stacker), Microsoft Game Studios, Xbox 360, level/area: The Ark",
          "text": "The back plating looks vulnerable, light that sucker up!",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "text": "telling me to light it up if it didn't stop approaching",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To open fire on a target or group of targets, especially with rockets, a flamethrower etc."
      ],
      "id": "en-light_up-en-verb-eKnbHLwg",
      "links": [
        [
          "open fire",
          "open fire"
        ],
        [
          "rocket",
          "rocket"
        ],
        [
          "flamethrower",
          "flamethrower"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, slang) To open fire on a target or group of targets, especially with rockets, a flamethrower etc."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "slang",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "American English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "2 9 3 3 1 1 2 29 21 29",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "3 8 3 4 1 1 2 40 20 19",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with topic categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "4 9 6 5 3 3 5 23 18 25",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs with particle (up)",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "3 7 3 2 1 1 3 31 25 24",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To shock (someone) with a stun gun."
      ],
      "id": "en-light_up-en-verb-Bsf41smn",
      "links": [
        [
          "shock",
          "shock"
        ],
        [
          "stun gun",
          "stun gun"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(chiefly US, transitive, slang) To shock (someone) with a stun gun."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "slang",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "American English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "2 9 3 3 1 1 2 29 21 29",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "2 8 4 3 1 1 2 25 33 22",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "4 9 6 5 3 3 5 23 18 25",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs with particle (up)",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I guess he doesn't realize who's behind him, because the way he's darting and weaving, he's practically begging me to light him up.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To activate the emergency sirens on a police vehicle in order to pull someone over."
      ],
      "id": "en-light_up-en-verb-ROemueny",
      "links": [
        [
          "activate",
          "activate"
        ],
        [
          "emergency",
          "emergency"
        ],
        [
          "siren",
          "siren"
        ],
        [
          "police",
          "police"
        ],
        [
          "vehicle",
          "vehicle"
        ],
        [
          "in order to",
          "in order to"
        ],
        [
          "pull someone over",
          "pull over#Verb"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(chiefly US, transitive, slang) To activate the emergency sirens on a police vehicle in order to pull someone over."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "slang",
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-light up.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/0d/En-au-light_up.ogg/En-au-light_up.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/En-au-light_up.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "light up"
}

{
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "light",
        "3": "up",
        "nocat": "1",
        "pos1": "verb",
        "pos2": "adverb",
        "t1": "to make less heavy",
        "t2": "to a higher degree"
      },
      "expansion": "light (“to make less heavy”, verb) + up (“to a higher degree”, adverb)",
      "name": "affix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Phrasal verb from light (“to make less heavy”, verb) + up (“to a higher degree”, adverb).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "lights up",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "lighting up",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "lighted up",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "lighted up",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "light up (third-person singular simple present lights up, present participle lighting up, simple past and past participle lighted up)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Nautical",
          "orig": "en:Nautical",
          "parents": [
            "Transport",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "2 9 3 3 1 1 2 29 21 29",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "4 9 6 5 3 3 5 23 18 25",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs with particle (up)",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "to light up the jib-sheets",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To loosen, slacken, or ease off."
      ],
      "id": "en-light_up-en-verb-NsT7SSLg",
      "links": [
        [
          "nautical",
          "nautical"
        ],
        [
          "loosen",
          "loosen"
        ],
        [
          "slacken",
          "slacken"
        ],
        [
          "ease off",
          "ease off"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, nautical) To loosen, slacken, or ease off."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "nautical",
        "transport"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-light up.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/0d/En-au-light_up.ogg/En-au-light_up.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/En-au-light_up.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "light up"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
    "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
    "English idioms",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English phrasal verbs",
    "English phrasal verbs with particle (up)",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
    "English verbs",
    "en:Smoking",
    "en:Violence"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "lighting-up time"
    },
    {
      "word": "light someone's ass up"
    },
    {
      "word": "light up a room"
    },
    {
      "word": "light up like a Christmas tree"
    },
    {
      "word": "light up someone's ass"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "light",
        "3": "up",
        "nocat": "1",
        "pos1": "verb",
        "pos2": "adverb",
        "t1": "to make bright, ignite",
        "t2": "to a higher degree"
      },
      "expansion": "light (“to make bright, ignite”, verb) + up (“to a higher degree”, adverb)",
      "name": "affix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Phrasal verb from light (“to make bright, ignite”, verb) + up (“to a higher degree”, adverb).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "lights up",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "lighting up",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "lit up",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "lit up",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "lighted up",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past",
        "rare"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "lighted up",
      "tags": [
        "past",
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "light<,,lit> up",
        "past2": "lighted up",
        "past2_qual": "rare",
        "past_ptc2": "lighted up",
        "past_ptc2_qual": "rare"
      },
      "expansion": "light up (third-person singular simple present lights up, present participle lighting up, simple past and past participle lit up or (rare) lighted up)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "lighten up"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "Episode 12, The Cyclops",
          "text": "The deafening claps of thunder and the dazzling flashes of lightning which lit up the ghastly scene testified that the artillery of heaven had lent its supernatural pomp to the already gruesome spectacle."
        },
        {
          "ref": "2001, J. Stewart Burns, “Roswell That Ends Well”, in Futurama, season 3, episode 19, spoken by Philip J. Fry (Billy West)",
          "text": "I've never seen a supernova blow up, but if it's anything like my old Chevy Nova, it'll light up the night sky.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2020 April 22, “Network News: Glenfinnan turns blue to honour NHS workers”, in Rail, page 9",
          "text": "The illumination was organised by Martin Whyte from events company The Stage Group, fulfilling a long-held ambition of his to light up the 21-arch Scottish structure.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To illuminate, to bring light to something, to brighten."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "illuminate",
          "illuminate"
        ],
        [
          "light",
          "light"
        ],
        [
          "brighten",
          "brighten"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To illuminate, to bring light to something, to brighten."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "lighten"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2009, President Nixon's Pilot, Jim Bell, in The Propinquity Effect →ISBN",
          "text": "When we cranked up the engine, the fire warning light lit up."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To start to emit light; to become activated as a light source."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "start",
          "start"
        ],
        [
          "emit",
          "emit"
        ],
        [
          "light",
          "light"
        ],
        [
          "activated",
          "activated"
        ],
        [
          "light source",
          "light source"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To start to emit light; to become activated as a light source."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1956 [1880], Johanna Spyri, Heidi, translation of original by Eileen Hall, page 84",
          "text": "Clara's eyes lit up at this highly unusual occurrence.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "text": "He saw Mary and his face lit up."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To show an increase in activity or a brightening of mood."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "increase",
          "increase"
        ],
        [
          "activity",
          "activity"
        ],
        [
          "brightening",
          "brightening"
        ],
        [
          "mood",
          "mood"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, figuratively) To show an increase in activity or a brightening of mood."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively",
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To ignite."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "ignite",
          "ignite"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To ignite."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1962 December, “Motive Power Miscellany: North Eastern Region”, in Modern Railways, pages 422, 425",
          "text": "On the morning after the one-day strike, October 4, one of the Type 4s on crew-training, No. D169, was appropriated to head the 3 a.m. mail to Hull, as no steam locomotive had been lit up and the usual Hull Type 3 was not available; [...].",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2019, Bernardine Evaristo, Girl, Woman, Other, Penguin Books (2020), page 15",
          "text": "where a group of women rolled up to enjoy the free plonk and spill out on to the pavement to light up and chat each other up",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "text": "Smoking in this building is not allowed, so I always step outside to light up."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To light a cigarette, pipe, etc."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "light",
          "light"
        ],
        [
          "cigarette",
          "cigarette"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To light a cigarette, pipe, etc."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English transitive verbs",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2001, Ash, Shining Light",
          "text": "You are a shining light, and you light up my life.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, WLTX.com, Young Girl Continues Bike Giveaway Tradition, 25 Nov 2010",
          "text": "\"It lights me up, make me happy. Sometimes I go home, go in my room and cry with joy,\"said Hudson smiling"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To make happy."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "happy",
          "happy"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To make happy."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English slang",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2007 September 25, Bungie, Halo 3, spoken by Marcus Stacker (Pete Stacker), Microsoft Game Studios, Xbox 360, level/area: The Ark",
          "text": "The back plating looks vulnerable, light that sucker up!",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "text": "telling me to light it up if it didn't stop approaching",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To open fire on a target or group of targets, especially with rockets, a flamethrower etc."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "open fire",
          "open fire"
        ],
        [
          "rocket",
          "rocket"
        ],
        [
          "flamethrower",
          "flamethrower"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, slang) To open fire on a target or group of targets, especially with rockets, a flamethrower etc."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "slang",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "American English",
        "English slang",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To shock (someone) with a stun gun."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "shock",
          "shock"
        ],
        [
          "stun gun",
          "stun gun"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(chiefly US, transitive, slang) To shock (someone) with a stun gun."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "slang",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "American English",
        "English slang",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I guess he doesn't realize who's behind him, because the way he's darting and weaving, he's practically begging me to light him up.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To activate the emergency sirens on a police vehicle in order to pull someone over."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "activate",
          "activate"
        ],
        [
          "emergency",
          "emergency"
        ],
        [
          "siren",
          "siren"
        ],
        [
          "police",
          "police"
        ],
        [
          "vehicle",
          "vehicle"
        ],
        [
          "in order to",
          "in order to"
        ],
        [
          "pull someone over",
          "pull over#Verb"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(chiefly US, transitive, slang) To activate the emergency sirens on a police vehicle in order to pull someone over."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "slang",
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-light up.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/0d/En-au-light_up.ogg/En-au-light_up.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/En-au-light_up.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to bring light to something",
      "word": "valaista"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "sense": "to bring light to something",
      "word": "acender"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "to bring light to something",
      "word": "incendō"
    },
    {
      "code": "lb",
      "lang": "Luxembourgish",
      "sense": "to bring light to something",
      "word": "beliichten"
    },
    {
      "code": "nah",
      "lang": "Nahuatl",
      "sense": "to bring light to something",
      "word": "tlāhuīlia"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "to bring light to something",
      "word": "ilumina"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "to bring light to something",
      "word": "lumina"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "svetítʹ",
      "sense": "to bring light to something",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "свети́ть"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "osvetítʹ",
      "sense": "to bring light to something",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "освети́ть"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to bring light to something",
      "word": "iluminar"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to become light",
      "word": "valjeta"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "to become light",
      "word": "lumina"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "svetítʹsja",
      "sense": "to become light",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "свети́ться"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "osvetítʹsja",
      "sense": "to become light",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "освети́ться"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "svetlétʹ",
      "sense": "to become light",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "светле́ть"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "prosvetlétʹ",
      "sense": "to become light",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "просветле́ть"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "zagorátʹsja",
      "sense": "to become light",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "загора́ться"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "zagorétʹsja",
      "sense": "to become light",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "загоре́ться"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to light a cigarette, etc.",
      "word": "panna tupakaksi"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "prikúrivatʹ",
      "sense": "to light a cigarette, etc.",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "прику́ривать"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "prikurítʹ",
      "sense": "to light a cigarette, etc.",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "прикури́ть"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "zažigátʹ",
      "sense": "to light a cigarette, etc.",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "зажига́ть"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "zažéčʹ",
      "sense": "to light a cigarette, etc.",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "заже́чь"
    }
  ],
  "word": "light up"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
    "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
    "English idioms",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English phrasal verbs",
    "English phrasal verbs with particle (up)",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
    "English verbs",
    "en:Smoking",
    "en:Violence"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "light",
        "3": "up",
        "nocat": "1",
        "pos1": "verb",
        "pos2": "adverb",
        "t1": "to make less heavy",
        "t2": "to a higher degree"
      },
      "expansion": "light (“to make less heavy”, verb) + up (“to a higher degree”, adverb)",
      "name": "affix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Phrasal verb from light (“to make less heavy”, verb) + up (“to a higher degree”, adverb).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "lights up",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "lighting up",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "lighted up",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "lighted up",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "light up (third-person singular simple present lights up, present participle lighting up, simple past and past participle lighted up)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English transitive verbs",
        "en:Nautical"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "to light up the jib-sheets",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To loosen, slacken, or ease off."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "nautical",
          "nautical"
        ],
        [
          "loosen",
          "loosen"
        ],
        [
          "slacken",
          "slacken"
        ],
        [
          "ease off",
          "ease off"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, nautical) To loosen, slacken, or ease off."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "nautical",
        "transport"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-light up.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/0d/En-au-light_up.ogg/En-au-light_up.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/En-au-light_up.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "light up"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.