light up
The phrase "light up" has versatile meanings, often involving illumination, ignition, or a change in mood or activity.
Definition
B1General
(common)To make something bright or shiny.
Example
- The room lit up when she turned on the lamp.
- The city lights up beautifully during the festival.
B1Emotional
(figurative)To show an increase in activity or a brightening of mood.
Example
- His face lit up when he heard the good news.
- The children's eyes lit up at the sight of the presents.
B2Smoking
(informal)To ignite a cigarette, cigar, or pipe.
Example
- He decided to light up after dinner.
- She lit up a cigarette and took a deep drag.
C1Combat
(slang)To open fire on a target.
Example
- The soldiers were ordered to light up the enemy positions.
- The helicopter lit up the area with machine gun fire.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "light up":
lit upspark upbrighten upblaze upfire upflame upturn onlighten upsparkle upliven uplight offlight downsee the lightshine upbright lightsset alightstrike a lightswitch onshine onsmoke upheat upcatch fireglow uptop lightshine throughflare uplift uppower upblow upelectric lightcharge upgreen lighthot uptorch upconnect upcolor upturn upswitched onamp upgas upburn upopen updark uplight bulb