1. Of comparatively little physical weight or density
   "a light load"; "magnesium is a light metal — having a specific gravity of 1.74 at 20 degrees C"
    
2. (used of colour) having a relatively small amount of colouring agent
   "light blue"; "light colours such as pastels"; "a light-coloured powder"; "light-coloured blue";
   - light-colored [US], light-coloured [Brit, Cdn]
    
3. Not great in degree, quantity or number
   "casualties were light"; "light snow was falling"; "light misty rain"; "light smoke from the chimney"; "a light sentence"; "a light accent"
    
4. Characterized by or emitting light
   "a room that is light when the shutters are open"; "the inside of the house was airy and light"
    
5. Moving easily and quickly; nimble
   "the dancer was light and graceful"; "walked with a light tripping step";
   - lightsome, tripping
    
6. Demanding little effort; not burdensome
   "light housework"; "light exercise"
    
7. Of little intensity, power or force
   "the light touch of her fingers"; "a light breeze"
    
8. Having little importance
   "losing his job was no light matter"
    
9. Designed for ease of movement or to carry little weight
   "light aircraft"; "a light truck"
    
10. (of sound or colour) free from anything that dulls or dims
    "a light lilting voice like a silver bell";
    - clean, clear, unclouded
     
11. Free from sadness or troubles
    "a light heart"
     
12. Intended primarily as entertainment; not serious or profound
    "light verse"; "a light comedy"
     
13. Silly or trivial
    "light banter"; "light idle chatter";
    - idle
     
14. Having relatively few calories
    "light beer"; "light mayonnaise"; "cola light";
    - lite, low-cal
     
15. Marked by temperance in indulgence
    "a light eater"; "ate a light supper";
    - abstemious
     
16. Of the military or industry; using (or being) relatively small or light arms or equipment
    "light industry"; "light weapons"; "light infantry"; "light cavalry"
     
17. (used of vowels or syllables) pronounced with little or no stress
    "a syllable that ends in a short vowel is a light syllable";
    - unaccented, weak
     
18. Easily assimilated in the alimentary canal; not rich or heavily seasoned
    "a light diet"
     
19. (used of soil) loose and large-grained in consistency
    "light soil"
     
20. (physics, chemistry) not having atomic weight greater than average
    "light water is ordinary water"
     
21. Weak and likely to lose consciousness
    "felt light in the head"; "light-headed with wine";
    - faint, swooning, light-headed, lightheaded
     
22. Very thin and insubstantial
    "light summer dresses"
     
23. Less than the correct, legal or full amount, often deliberately
    "a light pound";
    - scant, short
     
24. (of sleep) easily disturbed
    "in a light doze"; "a light sleeper";
    - wakeful

1. (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation
   "the light was filtered through a soft glass window";
   - visible light, visible radiation
    
2. Any device serving as a source of illumination
   "he stopped the car and turned off the lights"; "The photographer used multiple light sources to create the desired effect";
   - light source
    
3. The quality of being luminous; emitting or reflecting light
   "its light is measured relative to that of our sun";
   - luminosity, brightness, brightness level, luminance, luminousness
    
4. An illuminated area
   "he stepped into the light"
    
5. A particular perspective or aspect of a situation
   "although he saw it in a different light, he still did not understand"
    
6. The quality or amount of light; the effect and arrangement of lights
   "they played as long as it was light";
   - lighting, illumination
    
7. The visual effect of illumination on objects or scenes as created in pictures
   "he could paint the lightest light and the darkest dark";
   - lightness
    
8. Mental understanding as an enlightening experience
   "he finally saw the light"; "can you shed light on this problem?"
    
9. A condition of spiritual awareness; divine illumination
   "follow God's light";
   - illumination
    
10. Merriment expressed by a brightness, gleam or animation of countenance
    "he had a light in his eye";
    - sparkle, twinkle, spark
     
11. Public awareness
    "it brought the scandal to light"
     
12. A visual warning signal
    "they saw the light of the beacon"; "there was a light at every corner"
     
13. A device for lighting or igniting fuel or charges or fires
    "do you have a light?";
    - lighter, igniter, ignitor
     
14. A person regarded very fondly
    "the light of my life"

1. Introduce light into
   "The morning sun lit up the room";
   - illume [archaic], illumine, light up, illuminate
    
2. Begin to smoke
   "After the meal, some of the diners lit up";
   - light up, fire up
    
3. Cause to start burning; subject to fire or great heat
   "Light a cigarette";
   - ignite
    
4. Start or maintain a fire in
   "light the furnace";
   - fire, ignite
    
5. To come to rest, settle
   "The bird lit on the branch";
   - alight, perch
    
6. Be allotted to somebody by assignment or as part of their role
   "The difficult task lit upon the newest employee";
   - fall
    
7. (riding) alight from (a horse)
   "The rider lightd at the corner";
   - dismount, get off, get down, demount

1. With few burdens
   "experienced travellers travel light";
   - lightly

1. A divine presence believed by Quakers to enlighten and guide the soul
   - Inner Light, Light Within, Christ Within

Derived forms: lit, lighter, lights, lightest, lighting

See also: ablaze, airy, autofluorescent, bioluminescent, bright, buoyant, candent, candescent [rare], casual, dark, deficient, digestible, dull, easy, fat-free, fatless, floaty, floodlighted, floodlit, fluorescent, fooling, frivolous, gentle, ill, illuminated, incandescent, inflamed, insignificant, insufficient, lamplit, light-armed, light-duty, lighted, lighter-than-air, light-footed, lighting-up, lightly-armed, lightweight, lit, livid, loose, low-density, luminescent, nonfat, pale, palish, pastel, phosphorescent, powdery, pure, reddened, shallow, sick, soft, sunlit, sunny, sunstruck, temperate, thin, undemanding, unimportant, unstressed, value, weight, well-lighted, white

Type of: actinic radiation, actinic ray, aspect, begin, brainstorm, brainwave, burn, china [Brit, informal], combust, come down, commence, condition, descend, device, devolve, ethical motive, ethics, expression, face, facial expression, fall, friend, general knowledge, go down, illumination, insight, land, lead off, lighten, lighten up, look, mate [Brit, informal], morality, morals, pass, perspective, physical property, position, public knowledge, return, scene, set down, source of illumination, start, status, verve, view, visual property, visual signal, vitality

Antonym: dark, heavy

Part of: electromagnetic spectrum

Encyclopedia: Light, Rapid, Comfortable