lightning

American  

[lahyt-ning] / ˈlaɪt nɪŋ /

noun

1. a brilliant electric spark discharge in the atmosphere, occurring within a thundercloud, between clouds, or between a cloud and the ground.

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verb (used without object)

lightninged, lightning

1. to emit a flash or flashes of lightning (often used impersonally with it as subject).

   If it starts to lightning, we'd better go inside.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling lightning, especially in regard to speed of movement: lightning speed.

   lightning flashes;

   lightning speed.

idioms

1. catch lightning in a bottle. catch lightning in a bottle.

lightning British  

/ ˈlaɪtnɪŋ /

noun

1. a flash of light in the sky, occurring during a thunderstorm and caused by a discharge of electricity, either between clouds or between a cloud and the earth

2. (modifier) fast and sudden

   a lightning raid

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lightning Scientific  

/ līt′nĭng /

1. A flash of light in the sky caused by an electrical discharge between clouds or between a cloud and the Earth's surface. The flash heats the air and usually causes thunder. Lightning may appear as a jagged streak, as a bright sheet, or in rare cases, as a glowing red ball.

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lightning Cultural  

1. An electrical discharge from clouds that have acquired an electrical charge, usually occurring during storms. (See thunder.)

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lightning More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing lightning

• like greased lightning
• quick as a wink (lightning)

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Closer Look

As storm clouds develop, the temperature at the top of the cloud becomes much cooler than that at the bottom. For reasons that scientists still do not understand, this temperature difference results in the accumulation of negatively charged particles near the base and positively charged particles near the top of the storm cloud. The negatively charged particles repel the electrons of atoms in nearby objects, such as the bases of other storm clouds or tall objects on the ground. Consequently, these nearby objects take on a positive charge. The difference in charge, or voltage, builds until an electric current starts to flow between the objects along a pathway of charged atoms in the air. The current flow heats up the air to such a degree that it glows, generating lightning. Initially, a bolt of lightning carrying a negative charge darts from one storm cloud to another or from a storm cloud to the ground, leaving the bottom of the cloud with a positive charge. In response, a second bolt (reverse lightning) shoots in the opposite direction (from the other storm cloud or the ground) as the mass of negative charges on it moves back to neutralize the positive charge on the bottom of the first cloud. The heat generated by the lightning causes the air to expand, in turn creating very large sound waves, or thunder.

Etymology

Origin of lightning

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, variant of lightening; lighten ¹, -ing ¹

Compare meaning

How does lightning compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• lightning vs. lightening

Example Sentences

So you can understand, if not necessarily agree with, their reluctance to drop out and call it a day, in the hope that, just maybe, that proverbial bolt of lightning will strike.

From Los Angeles Times

It's hard to envisage a lightning bolt at this stage.

From BBC

The flip side to GenAI’s disappointing pace is the lightning speed that newer and more advanced AI models, particularly from Anthropic’s Claude, are having—perhaps most notably on software and services companies.

From Barron's

The crowd cheers and whistles, and a million little lightning bolts shoot through my body.

From Literature

As soon as he touched her, a crack of lightning cleared his vision and Clare was swept into another world.

From Literature