I. a ‧ light 1 /əˈlaɪt/ BrE AmE adjective [not before noun]
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Origin: Probably from a- + light ]
1 . burning:
The car was set alight and pushed over a hill.
REGISTER
Alight is mostly used in journalism or in literature. In everyday English, people usually say on fire :
▪
The car had been deliberately set on fire.
2 . literary someone whose face or eyes are alight looks excited, happy, etc
alight with excitement/pleasure/laughter etc
Jed’s face was alight with excitement.
3 . literary bright with light or colour
II. alight 2 BrE AmE verb [intransitive] formal
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: alihtan , from lihtan 'to alight' ]
1 . if a bird or insect alights on something, it stops flying and stands on it SYN land
2 . to step out of a vehicle after a journey
alight from
She alighted from the train at 74th Street.
alight on/upon something phrasal verb formal
to suddenly think of or notice something or someone:
His mind alighted on several possible answers.