lit
lit Lexical Profile
lit Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Provided with light or illumination; ignited or burning.
"They walked down the brightly lit street after the theater performance ended."
(Slang) Exciting, energetic, or excellent.
"The outdoor music festival was completely lit from the opening act to the finale."
(Slang) Intoxicated by alcohol or drugs.
"After several glasses of champagne at the reception, he was noticeably lit."
• verb
To ignite or cause to start burning; to provide with light or illumination (past tense and past participle of 'light').
"She lit a few candles on the dining table when the power went out."
To descend and settle on a surface after flying; to come upon by chance (past tense and past participle of 'light').
"A colorful butterfly lit gently on the edge of the garden bench."
• noun
(Informal) Literature, especially when studied as an academic subject or categorized as a publishing genre.
"She is taking a seminar on nineteenth-century British lit this semester."
Word Nuance & Usage
When describing something that is illuminated or burning, 'lit' and 'lighted' are both valid past forms of 'light', though 'lighted' is more common attributively before a noun (e.g., 'a lighted candle') while 'lit' is standard in predicate positions (e.g., 'the candle is lit').
• Rhymes for lit
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Inherited from Old English 'lihtan' (to make light or shine), with the shortened past tense and past participle form 'lit' becoming widespread in Early Modern English alongside 'lighted'.