lightlight2 ●●● S1 W2 adjective 1
COLOR a light color is pale and not dark OPP dark: You look nice in light colors. She had blue eyes and light brown hair. → see also deep1 (5)THESAURUSpale – very light, with a lot of white in it: The little girl wore a pale pink dress.pastel – light and not at all bright. You use pastel especially about pink, yellow, green, or blue: She covered the baby with a pastel blue blanket.faded – if something is faded, it is a lighter color than it was at first, because it has been changed by the sun, washing, or age: He was wearing faded old jeans.soft – light and not at all bright, and seeming pleasant and relaxing: The bedroom was painted a soft shade of yellow.fair – if someone’s skin or hair is fair, it is light in color: Someone with fair skin like you should probably use stronger sunscreen.2WEIGHT not weighing very much, or weighing less than you expect OPP heavy: Why is your suitcase lighter than mine? You can carry this – it’s light. The tiny baby felt light as a feather in my arms (=very light). → see also lighten, lightweight23CLOTHES light clothes are thin and not very warm OPP thick: You’ll need at least a light jacket.4OUTSIDE it is/gets light used to say that there is enough natural light outside to see by, or that the light outside increases because the sun rises: It gets light before 6 a.m.5ROOM a room that is light has plenty of light in it, especially from the sun OPP dark: The studio was light and spacious.6WIND blowing without much force OPP strong: a light breeze7TOUCH very gentle and soft: She gave him a light kiss on the cheek. → see also lightly8AMOUNT small in amount, or less than you expected: The traffic’s much lighter than usual. We arrived late and had a light meal before we went to bed (=a meal in which you only eat a small amount). → see also heavy1 (4)9FOOD a)not containing much fat or having fewer calories: Would you like regular or light cream cheese? → see also lite b)food or an alcoholic drink that is light either does not have a strong taste or is easy to digest: We had a light white wine with the fish. Yogurt with fresh fruit makes a delicious light dessert.10PUNISHMENT not very severe OPP harsh: Jones received only a light punishment.11WORK/EXERCISE not very tiring: I try to have a light workout every day.12SLEEP used to describe sleep from which you wake up very easily OPP deep: I fell into a light sleep. Ethan is a very light sleeper (=he wakes up easily).13NOT SERIOUS not serious in meaning, style, or manner: His speech gradually became lighter in tone. The television show takes a look at the lighter side of working in a hospital. I picked up a novel for some light reading on the flight. In her book, Rose handles these difficult questions with a light touch (=a relaxed and pleasant style). On a lighter note, let’s talk about Boston’s fabulous sports teams (=used when you introduce something funny or less serious than before). It is shocking that anyone could make light of child abuse (=make a joke of it). → see also lightly14a light smoker/drinker/eater etc. someone who does not smoke, drink, eat, etc. very much15be light on your feet to be able to move quickly and gracefully16make light work of something to finish a job quickly and easily17SOIL easy to break into small pieces OPP heavy18HEART literary someone who has a light heart feels happy and not worried → see also light-headed, light-hearted—lightness noun [uncountable]
COLOR a light color is pale and not dark OPP dark: You look nice in light colors. She had blue eyes and light brown hair. → see also deep1 (5)THESAURUSpale – very light, with a lot of white in it: The little girl wore a pale pink dress.pastel – light and not at all bright. You use pastel especially about pink, yellow, green, or blue: She covered the baby with a pastel blue blanket.faded – if something is faded, it is a lighter color than it was at first, because it has been changed by the sun, washing, or age: He was wearing faded old jeans.soft – light and not at all bright, and seeming pleasant and relaxing: The bedroom was painted a soft shade of yellow.fair – if someone’s skin or hair is fair, it is light in color: Someone with fair skin like you should probably use stronger sunscreen.2WEIGHT not weighing very much, or weighing less than you expect OPP heavy: Why is your suitcase lighter than mine? You can carry this – it’s light. The tiny baby felt light as a feather in my arms (=very light). → see also lighten, lightweight23CLOTHES light clothes are thin and not very warm OPP thick: You’ll need at least a light jacket.4OUTSIDE it is/gets light used to say that there is enough natural light outside to see by, or that the light outside increases because the sun rises: It gets light before 6 a.m.5ROOM a room that is light has plenty of light in it, especially from the sun OPP dark: The studio was light and spacious.6WIND blowing without much force OPP strong: a light breeze7TOUCH very gentle and soft: She gave him a light kiss on the cheek. → see also lightly8AMOUNT small in amount, or less than you expected: The traffic’s much lighter than usual. We arrived late and had a light meal before we went to bed (=a meal in which you only eat a small amount). → see also heavy1 (4)9FOOD a)not containing much fat or having fewer calories: Would you like regular or light cream cheese? → see also lite b)food or an alcoholic drink that is light either does not have a strong taste or is easy to digest: We had a light white wine with the fish. Yogurt with fresh fruit makes a delicious light dessert.10PUNISHMENT not very severe OPP harsh: Jones received only a light punishment.11WORK/EXERCISE not very tiring: I try to have a light workout every day.12SLEEP used to describe sleep from which you wake up very easily OPP deep: I fell into a light sleep. Ethan is a very light sleeper (=he wakes up easily).13NOT SERIOUS not serious in meaning, style, or manner: His speech gradually became lighter in tone. The television show takes a look at the lighter side of working in a hospital. I picked up a novel for some light reading on the flight. In her book, Rose handles these difficult questions with a light touch (=a relaxed and pleasant style). On a lighter note, let’s talk about Boston’s fabulous sports teams (=used when you introduce something funny or less serious than before). It is shocking that anyone could make light of child abuse (=make a joke of it). → see also lightly14a light smoker/drinker/eater etc. someone who does not smoke, drink, eat, etc. very much15be light on your feet to be able to move quickly and gracefully16make light work of something to finish a job quickly and easily17SOIL easy to break into small pieces OPP heavy18HEART literary someone who has a light heart feels happy and not worried → see also light-headed, light-hearted—lightness noun [uncountable]