light up
Britishverb
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to light a cigarette, pipe, etc
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to illuminate or cause to illuminate
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to make or become cheerful or animated
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Become or cause to become more animated or cheerful, as in Her laughter lit up the whole room , or His face lit up when he saw her . This expression transfers physical illumination to human moods. Also see lighten up . [Mid-1700s]
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Start smoking a cigar, cigarette, or pipe, as in The minute he got outside the church he lit up . [ Colloquial ; mid-1800s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Even the bathroom creates a memorable photo moment: The stalls are filled with photos of musicians and an “on air” studio sign lights up when a stall is occupied.
From Los Angeles Times
It turned out to be the chemical phosphorus, known to light up when it hits the air.
From Literature
The 'Drop of Fire' – the Olympic flame carried in a small glass vessel – was brought into ancient arena to light up the rings before the parade of athletes.
From BBC
On Tuesday, Libya marked 15 years since the start of the uprising that eventually toppled Gaddafi, with fireworks lighting up the sky in Tripoli, but for many Libyans life remains a struggle.
From Barron's
Most galaxies blaze with billions of stars, lighting up the universe across vast distances.
From Science Daily
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
