lit 1 of 4

adjective (1)

variants or lighted
Definition of litnext
1
as in illuminated
filled with much light the coat room was just lit well enough for us to identify our jackets

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2
as in burning
being on fire some lighted torches lined the path to the shrine

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lit

2 of 4

adjective (2)

as in drunk
being under the influence of alcohol Raucous singing could be heard coming from tents full of lit Oktoberfest revelers.

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lit

3 of 4

verb (1)

variants or lighted
past tense of light
1
as in burned
to set (something) on fire we lit the kindling before adding the heavier logs

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2
as in illumined
to supply with light the lights from the TV cameras will light this room as though it were high noon

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lit

4 of 4

verb (2)

variants or lighted
past tense of light
1
as in perched
to come to rest after descending from the air the bird lit on the branch and began to sing

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2
as in descended
to come down from something (as a vehicle) he hurriedly lighted from the bus and started walking up the street

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lit
Verb
The child, police said in previous testimony, was not wearing a safety grounding wrist strap that could have prevented the static spark that lit the flames. — Kristen Jordan Shamus, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2026 Many from the Liberty and William Jewell communities, including Barnett’s high school coaches, lit a candle in his name. — Pj Green august 30, Kansas City Star, 30 Aug. 2026 The Samuels’ run, however, was the spark that lit the fuse after the Caravan was denied on a fourth-and-short situation on its opening possession. — Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026 In Stang's classroom, two candles stay permanently lit — a tribute to keep the memory of 10-year-old Harper Moyski and 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel present. — Amelia Santaniello, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026 By Christmas it had been canonized as the pinnacle of ‘sad girl lit’ with Martha taking her place in that post-Fleabag lineage of fractured female characters. — Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026 With the fiery crosses lit, Brian and his cousin Murtagh must return to Castle Leathers and pledge to fight beside his father, the scheming Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat. — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2026 On stage, the audience is the camera, peering into a cutaway of set designer Fly Davis’ ominous, two-story house, lit with foreboding foreshadowing by Anna Watson. — Frank Rizzo, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026 Overnight, the foundation became a staple among makeup artists and beauty lovers worldwide, thanks to its second-skin finish and lit-from-within glow. — Beth Sobol, Flow Space, 26 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lit
  1. illuminated
  2. burning
  3. drunk
  4. burned
  5. illumined
  6. perched
  7. descended
  8. light
Adjective
  • From the Rodeo Drive entrance, the store opens into a bright accessories area where handbags are spaced along illuminated stone shelves and glass-and-metal vitrines.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The team's official drumline, The Pack, pounded on illuminated drums during quarter breaks, while Skye, the team's sassy, blue-haired lioness mascot, jumped onto the T-shirt cannon to launch souvenir merchandise high into stadium seats.
    — Odette Yousef, NPR, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of illuminated
Adjective
  • Prosecutors said some of the money was used for recruiting new members and purchasing Ku Klux Klan robes and materials for cross-burning ceremonies.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 July 2026
  • In the case of the cross-burning incident, there is no comparison to the Jussie Smollett case.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026
Definition of burning
Adjective
  • Eurotrash from Frauke Finsterwalder will have its world premiere in Zurich, the festival confirmed Monday, following a writer called Philipp who embarks with his terminally ill and hopelessly drunk mother, Helene, on a road trip through Switzerland.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2026
  • This was the context for Justice Brewer’s remarks about Philip sober restraining Philip drunk.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of drunk
Verb
  • Byblow says earth tones will be major this season — think rusty red, forest green, burnt orange, and chocolate brown.
    — Jamie Allison Sanders, PEOPLE, 30 Aug. 2026
  • But full blocks of houses along roads leading into the forest burned to the ground.
    — Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of burned
Verb
  • Fantastic, illumined by periodic excursions into surrealism, as when the crew of a mysterious UFO boards a transpacific Kahuna Airlines jet midflight.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Definition of illumined
Verb
  • And when the sun starts its nightly descent, grab an aperitivo at Terrazza Campari, perched just above the resort’s pristine sandy cove and crystal-blue waters.
    — Stephanie Orma, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Emirates’ massive suite, which is perched over the center of Ashe, is being remodeled this year to emulate the spacious lounges and curved bar on its double-decker Airbus 380 planes.
    — Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of perched
Verb
  • Not long afterward, two dozen Border Patrol agents descended on Roosevelt High School as class was getting out, prompting a confrontation in which the agents deployed pepper spray and arrested four people, including a teacher.
    — Emily Witt, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • This year, more than 4,200 shows descended on Edinburgh, with artists hailing from 74 countries.
    — Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of descended
Adjective
  • Chelsea, despite missing out on a late move for Lamine Camara, and Tottenham have improved considerably, but that is more a reflection of previous dysfunction — and a lighter schedule — than inspired recruitment.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • For example, the original pipe was aluminum, which is lighter and easier to move into the steep canyon but is more susceptible to breaking.
    — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of light

Phrases Containing lit

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lit
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Cite this Entry

“Lit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lit. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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