lit

¹ American  

[lit] / lɪt /

verb

1. a simple past tense and past participle of light.

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adjective

1. Slang. under the influence of liquor or narcotics; intoxicated (usually followed byup ).

2. Slang. amazing; awesome; cool (used as a general term of approval).

   Today's rally was really lit!

lit ² American  

[lit] / lɪt /

verb

1. a simple past tense and past participle of light.

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lit ³ American  

[lit] / lɪt /

noun

Informal.

1. literature.

   a college course in English lit.

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lit ⁴ American  

[lit] / lɪt /

noun

1. litas.

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lit. ⁵ American  

abbreviation

1. liter; liters.

2. literal.

3. literally.

4. literary.

5. literature.

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Lit. ⁶ American  

abbreviation

1. (in Italy) lira; lire.

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lit. ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. literal(ly)

2. literary

3. literature

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lit ² British  

/ lɪt /

verb

1. a past tense and past participle of light 1

2. an alternative past tense and past participle of light 2

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Etymology

Origin of lit¹

First recorded in 1895–1900 in the sense “intoxicated”

Origin of lit³

First recorded in 1850–55; by shortening

Explanation

If something's lit, it's illuminated with light from a lamp or other source. Your romantic dinner table might be lit only with flickering candles. A well-lit room provides enough light for whatever task you need to to there — your kitchen might be lit with under-cabinet lights that shine on the counters, and your office might be lit with a desk lamp. Lit also means "set on fire," like a lit campfire or a glowing, lit stick of incense. If you're studying American literature in school, you might describe it using the colloquial shorthand, "American lit."

Example Sentences

Culture Minister Catherine Pégard told AFP that Baye had "lit up a long chapter in the history of French cinema with her talent and radiant personality".

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

Today, Timon sits in a softly lit studio, looking at a photograph from one of their final concerts in Khartoum.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

To learn Hong Kong mahjong, I visited a warmly lit community space in Chinatown one Tuesday night.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

Thousands of people fill the streets that surround it in lit, ecstatic union.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

The streets got narrower, and less well lit, the further Nighthand led them.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

Related Words

• stoned
• tipsy