I. BRIGHTNESS OR ILLUMINATION
(~s, ~ing, lit, ~ed, ~er, ~est)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
Note: The form 'lit' is the usual past tense and past participle, but the form '~ed' is also used.
Please look at category 17 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1.
Light is the brightness that lets you see things. Light comes from sources such as the sun, moon, lamps, and fire.
Cracks of ~ filtered through the shutters...
It was difficult to see in the dim ~.
...ultraviolet ~.
? darkness
N-UNCOUNT: also the N
2.
A ~ is something such as an electric lamp which produces ~.
The janitor comes round to turn the ~s out...
...street ~s.
N-COUNT
3.
You can use ~s to refer to a set of traffic ~s.
...the heavy city traffic with its endless delays at ~s and crossings.
N-PLURAL
4.
If a place or object is lit by something, it has ~ shining on it.
It was dark and a giant moon lit the road so brightly you could see the landscape clearly...
The room was lit by only the one ~...
The low sun lit the fortress walls with yellow ~.
VERB: V n, V n, V n with n
5.
If it is ~, the sun is providing ~ at the beginning or end of the day.
It was still ~ when we arrived at Lalong Creek...
...~ summer evenings.
? dark
ADJ
6.
If a room or building is ~, it has a lot of natural ~ in it, for example because it has large windows.
It is a ~ room with tall windows...
= bright
? dark
ADJ
~ness
The dark green spare bedroom is in total contrast to the ~ness of the large main bedroom.
N-UNCOUNT: usu with supp
7.
If you ~ something such as a cigarette or fire, or if it ~s, it starts burning.
Stephen hunched down to ~ a cigarette...
If the charcoal does fail to ~, use a special liquid spray and ~ it with a long taper.
...a ~ed candle.
VERB: V n, V, V-ed
8.
If someone asks you for a ~, they want a match or cigarette ~er so they can start smoking. (INFORMAL)
Have you got a ~ anybody?
N-SING: a N
9.
If something is presented in a particular ~, it is presented so that you think about it in a particular way or so that it appears to be of a particular nature.
He has worked hard in recent months to portray New York in a better ~.
N-COUNT: with supp
10.
see also ~er , ~ing , bright ~s , night ~ , pilot ~ , red ~
11.
If something comes to ~ or is brought to ~, it becomes obvious or is made known to a lot of people.
The truth is unlikely to be brought to ~ by the promised enquiry.
PHRASE: V inflects
12.
If ~ dawns on you, you begin to understand something after a period of not being able to understand it.
At last the ~ dawned. He was going to marry Phylis!
PHRASE: V inflects
13.
If someone in authority gives you a green ~, they give you permission to do something.
The food industry was given a green ~ to extend the use of these chemicals...
PHRASE: PHR after v, v-link PHR
14.
If something is possible in the ~ of particular information, it is only possible because you have this information.
In the ~ of this information it is now possible to identify a number of key issues.
PREP-PHRASE
15.
If someone sees the ~, they finally realize something or chang1 their attitude or way of behaving to a better one.
I saw the ~ and ditched him.
PHRASE: V inflects
16.
If you set ~ to something, you make it start burning. (mainly BRIT; in AM, use set fire to )
They had poured fuel through the door of the flat and had then set ~ to it.
PHRASE: V inflects: PHR n
17.
To shed ~ on, throw ~ on, or cast ~ on something means to make it easier to understand, because more information is known about it.
A new approach offers an answer, and may shed ~ on an even bigger question.
= clarify
PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n
18.
When you talk about the ~ at the end of the tunnel, you are referring to the end of the difficult or unpleasant situation that you are in at the moment.
All I can do is tell her to hold on, that there’s ~ at the end of the tunnel.
PHRASE
19.
all sweetness and ~: see sweetness
II. NOT GREAT IN WEIGHT, AMOUNT, OR INTENSITY
(~er, ~est)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
Something that is ~ does not weigh very much, or weighs less than you would expect it to.
Modern tennis rackets are now apparently 20 per cent ~er.
...weight training with ~ weights...
Try to wear ~, loose clothes.
? heavy
ADJ
~ness
The toughness, ~ness, strength, and elasticity of whalebone gave it a wide variety of uses.
N-UNCOUNT: usu with supp
2.
Something that is ~ is not very great in amount, degree, or intensity.
It’s a Sunday like any other with the usual ~ traffic in the city...
...a ~ breeze.
ADJ
~ly
Put the onions in the pan and cook until ~ly browned.
ADV: usu ADV -ed, also ADV after v
3.
Light equipment and machines are small and easily moved, especially because they are not heavy.
...a convoy of ~ armoured vehicles...
They used ~ machine guns and AK forty-sevens.
ADJ: ADJ n
4.
Something that is ~ is very pale in colour.
The walls are ~ in colour and covered in paper...
He is ~ haired with gray eyes.
? dark
ADJ
•
Light is also a combining form.
We know he has a ~ green van.
...a ~ blue box.
COMB in COLOUR
5.
A ~ sleep is one that is easily disturbed and in which you are often aware of the things around you. If you are a ~ sleeper, you are easily woken when you are asleep.
She had drifted into a ~ sleep...
She was usually a ~ sleeper.
? deep
ADJ: ADJ n
~ly
He was dozing ~ly in his chair.
ADV: ADV after v
6.
A ~ sound, for example someone’s voice, is pleasantly quiet.
The voice was sweet and ~.
ADJ
7.
A ~ meal consists of a small amount of food, or of food that is easy to digest.
...a ~, healthy lunch.
? heavy
ADJ
~ly
She found it impossible to eat ~ly.
ADV: ADV after v
8.
Light work does not involve much physical effort.
He was on the training field for some ~ work yesterday.
ADJ: usu ADJ n
9.
If you describe the result of an action or a punishment as ~, you mean that it is less serious or severe than you expected.
She confessed her astonishment at her ~ sentence when her father visited her at the jail.
= lenient
ADJ
~ly
One of the accused got off ~ly in exchange for pleading guilty to withholding information from Congress.
ADV: ADV after v
10.
Movements and actions that are ~ are graceful or gentle and are done with very little force or effort.
Use a ~ touch when applying cream or make-up...
There was a ~ knock at the door.
= gentle
ADJ
~ly
He kissed her ~ly on the mouth...
Knead the dough very ~ly.
ADV: ADV with v
~ness
She danced with a grace and ~ness that were breathtaking.
N-UNCOUNT
11.
see also ~er
III. UNIMPORTANT OR NOT SERIOUS
(~er, ~est)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
Please look at category 5 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1.
If you describe things such as books, music, and films as ~, you mean that they entertain you without making you think very deeply.
...~ classical music.
...a ~ entertainment programme.
ADJ: usu ADJ n
2.
If you say something in a ~ way, you sound as if you think that something is not important or serious.
Talk to him in a friendly, ~ way about the relationship...
Let’s finish on a ~er note.
? serious
ADJ: usu ADJ n
~ly
‘Once a detective, always a detective,’ he said ~ly.
ADV: ADV after v
~ness
‘I’m not an authority on them,’ Jessica said with forced ~ness.
N-UNCOUNT
3.
If you say that something is not a ~ matter, you mean that it should be treated or considered as being important and serious.
It can be no ~ matter for the Home Office that so many young prisoners should have wanted to kill or injure themselves.
ADJ: usu with brd-neg
~ly
His allegations cannot be ~ly dismissed.
ADV: ADV with v
4.
If you make ~ of something, you treat it as though it is not serious or important, when in fact it is.
Roberts attempted to make ~ of his discomfort.
= play down
PHRASE: V inflects
5.
to make ~ work of: see work
see also ~er