light up
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Forms: form: lights up
form: lighting up
form: lit up
form: lit up
form: lighted up
form: lighted up
Etymology: Phrasal verb from light (“to make bright, ignite”, verb) + up (“to a higher degree”, adverb).
Senses: examples: 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: Episode 12, The Cyclops
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.
ref: 2001, J. Stewart Burns, “Roswell That Ends Well”, in Futurama, season 3, episode 19, spoken by Philip J. Fry (Billy West):
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.
ref: 2020 April 22, “Network News: Glenfinnan turns blue to honour NHS workers”, in Rail, page 9:
synonyms: word: lighten
word: alight
word: belight
word: beshine
word: bright
word: enlighten
word: fire
word: illume
word: illuminate
word: illumine
word: illustrate
word: irradiate
word: light
word: lighten
word: light up
word: luster
word: lustrate
word: shed light on
glosses: To illuminate, to bring light to something, to brighten.
examples: text: When we cranked up the engine, the fire warning light lit up.
ref: 2009, President Nixon's Pilot, Jim Bell, in The Propinquity Effect →ISBN
synonyms: word: gleam
word: beam
word: beshine
word: gleam
word: glow
word: illuminate
word: illumine
word: light up
word: shine
glosses: To start to emit light; to become activated as a light source.
examples: text: Clara's eyes lit up at this highly unusual occurrence.
ref: 1956 [1880], Johanna Spyri, Heidi, translation of original by Eileen Hall, page 84:
text: He saw Mary and his face lit up.
glosses: To show an increase in activity or a brightening of mood.
examples: text: Absence might cure it, or a second mistress / Light up another flame, and put out this.
ref: 1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene i, page 1:
synonyms: word: inflame
word: kindle
word: alight
word: conflagrate
word: fire
word: fire up
word: ignite
word: inflame
word: kindle
word: light
word: light up
word: set ablaze
word: set afire
word: set aflame
word: set alight
word: set fire
word: set on fire
word: torch
glosses: To ignite.
examples: text: Smoking in this building is not allowed, so I always step outside to light up.
text: The cleaner worked, of course, at nights. He had to coal and light up the engine, as well as clean it, for the next day's work, which commenced with a light run to Barnham to "bring in the goods" from that station at about 6.30 a.m.
ref: 1952 February, J. Pelham Maitland, “Locomotive Working on Sussex Branches Fifty Years Ago”, in Railway Magazine, page 84:
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; [...].
ref: 1962 December, “Motive Power Miscellany: North Eastern Region”, in Modern Railways, pages 422, 425:
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
ref: 2019, Bernardine Evaristo, Girl, Woman, Other, Penguin Books (2020), page 15:
synonyms: spark up
glosses: To light a cigarette, pipe, etc.
examples: text: [He] accepted a cigar from one of his timid admirers. They followed him like Kindergärtner as he pointedly moved away from the Owl before allowing someone to light him up.
ref: 1976, John Kelly, The Wooden Wolf, New York, N.Y.: Golden Apple Publications, published 1983, →ISBN, page 212:
text: Then I tried simply holding unlighted cigarettes, continually rejecting offers by well-meaning friends to light me up. Nothing worked.
ref: 2008 December 17, Benjamin Bederson, “Read the Warning, Light a Cigarette?”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 18 Sep 2025:
text: It was 3-0 to us and they were standing next to me, so I got the old cigar out and said to Buzzer (Nicky Summerbee), ‘Light me up, son. We’re in the Premiership’.
ref: 2020 July 25, Stuart James, quoting John Moncur, “‘For them, it was a fairytale. For us, a nightmare’ – inside three play-off epics”, in The Athletic, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 18 Sep 2025:
glosses: To light a cigarette, pipe, etc. for (someone).
examples: text: You are a shining light, and you light up my life.
ref: 2001, Ash, Shining Light:
text: "It lights me up, make me happy. Sometimes I go home, go in my room and cry with joy,"said Hudson smiling
ref: 2010, WLTX.com, Young Girl Continues Bike Giveaway Tradition, 25 Nov 2010
synonyms: word: cheer up
word: happify
word: make someone's day
word: beatify
word: begladden
word: blissen
word: bright
word: cheer
word: cheer up
word: content
word: delight
word: elate
word: enbliss
word: exhilarate
word: fain
word: gay
word: gladden
word: gladden someone's heart
word: gratify
word: happify
word: happy
word: hearten
word: jollify
word: laetificate
word: light up
word: make someone's day
word: perk up
word: please
word: raise someone's spirits
word: rejoice
word: turn the frown upside down
word: upcheer
word: warm someone's heart
word: warm the cockles of someone's heart
glosses: To make happy.
examples: text: Those clauses aren't all that uncommon these days; they were protecting thousands of gay and lesbian people before there were any city gay rights ordinances. That kind of stuff lit me up to the labor movement.
ref: 1990 February 4, Pam Mitchell, quoting Gerry Scoppettuolo, “Pro-Union And Queer”, in Gay Community News, volume 17, number 29, page 17:
text: I never troll the other side but being in Florida for a few days & seeing the dude with the Gadsden “Don’t Tread on Me” shirt really lit me up to the reality of this nightmare we’re all trying desperately to survive & to keep our precious Democracy.
ref: 2024 March 2, @Hannahsbenz17, Twitter:
glosses: To introduce (someone to something), to make someone aware of or interested in something; turn on.
examples: text: telling me to light it up if it didn't stop approaching
text: The back plating looks vulnerable, light that sucker up!
ref: 2007 September 25, Bungie, Halo 3, spoken by Marcus Stacker (Pete Stacker), Microsoft Game Studios, Xbox 360, level/area: The Ark:
glosses: To open fire on a target or group of targets, especially with rockets, a flamethrower, etc.
synonyms: tase
glosses: To shock (someone) with a stun gun.
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.
glosses: To activate the emergency sirens on a police vehicle in order to pull someone over.
Derived terms: lighting-up time
light someone's ass up
light up a room
light up like a Christmas tree
light up someone's ass
light up the room
Related terms: lighten up