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Kevin
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September 4, 2023
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Common Questions
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If you’re turning up at a gathering, someone may describe the event as “lit.” For example, “this party is lit!” — but what exactly does lit (lɪt) mean? Don’t worry; we’re here to help.
In this article, we’re exploring the increasingly popular slang term lit to uncover its definition, origin, usage, and more. So, if you’re looking for an explanation on lit — keep reading.
What Is the Definition of Lit?
According to the Cambridge Unabridged Dictionary, the term lit is both the past participle and past tense of light.
Another way to define our word of the day is by looking at it as an abbreviation. Lit is commonly used as an abbreviated term for literature. That said, if you are to say something is lit, you’re most likely trying to point out that something is illuminated, usually from a lamp or other source.
Lit is also commonly seen as a slang term that typically means under the influence of drugs, intoxicated, or drunk. The slang word “gonna get lit” was made popular in the early 21st century by the rapper A$AP Rocky and his song entitled, “Get Lit.”
Additionally, if you find yourself in Italy, lit means lire (or commonly seen in its singular form Lira), which is the currency of the Republic of Italy.
What Is the Etymology of Lit?
Our word of the day comes from Old Norse lita, which derives from Old English līhtan. It is a cognate of Old Saxon liuhtian, Old High German liuhten (aka German leuchten) and Gothic liuhtjan.
That said, the word lit has been a slang word meaning “intoxicated” for more than a century (since 1910, to be exact). In recent years, however, it has acquired the expanded meaning “exciting,” as well as a broader meaning along the lines of “excellent.”
What Are the Synonyms and Antonyms of Lit?
You may be familiar with our word of the day as a popular term that’s widely used on social media, but do you know the synonyms and antonyms of lit? Not to worry; we’re here to help.
Read on below to find synonyms and antonyms of lit, which have been provided by the Collins English Language Thesaurus:
Synonyms
- Ablaze
- Alight
- Bright
- Effulgent
- Beaming
- Sparkling
- Shimmering
- Flashing
- Lucent
- Lambent
- Well-lit
- Lustrous
- Luminous
- Started up
- Struck up
- Stricken up
- Shining
- Resplendent
- Radiant
- Touched off
- Brought about
- Lighted
- Brilliant
- Wasted
- Fanned the flames of
- Put a match to
- Plastered
- Inebriated
- Stirred up
- Turned on
- Switched on
- Put on
- Intoxicated
- High
- Hammered
- Tanked
- Set alight
- Set a match to
- Blotto
- Sploshed
- Set burning
- Set fire to
- Set light to
- Juiced
- Blasted
- Set on fire
- Sparked off
- Inebriated
- Lit up
- Wiped out
- Boozy
- Pie eyed
- Litty
- Made bright
- Cool
- Dope
- Literature
- Literary text
- Liberal arts
- Written matter
- Written work
- Literary work
- Belles lettres
- Creative writing
- Printed work
- Published work
- Collected work
Antonyms
- Blackened
- Dark
- Darkened
- Stygian
- Poorly lit
- Jet black
- Unlighted
- Sullied
- Off the sauce
- Unclean
- On the wagon
- Pitchy
- Straightedge
- Darksome
- As sober as a judge
- Unlit
- Dim
- Off the booze
- Dusk
- Clear Headed
- Pitch black
- Sober
- Straight
- Not intoxicated
How Can You Use Lit in a Sentence?
Lit is both the past tense and past particle of light, as well as a trendy slang word. Now that you understand the meaning behind our word of the day, it’s time to put your newfound knowledge to the test!
Practice using “lit” in a sentence, or simply refer to our example sentences listed below:
As it zipped through the air, the firecracker lit up the night sky.
The party last weekend was totally lit.
1,000 itty-bitty Christmas lights lit up the house, making it the brightest one on the block.
Martha lit a few candles before taking a relaxing soak in the tub.
This house party is gonna be lit!
John lit up a cigarette despite all the signs that said no smoking.
The heating lamp lit up the tent and kept us warm.
The whole sky lit up following a loud bang that sounded like an explosion.
Some say it’s poppin, but I prefer it’s lit.
Jeb’s yard was lit by three huge spotlights.
More often than not, houses are lit by electricity.
My mom doesn’t let me hang out on 4th street after dark because it’s poorly lit.
Terra lit a cigarette as she read her book on the patio.
The fire department said that a half-lit cigar was the culprit for the fire.
What Are Translations of Lit?
Seeing as the word lit has been in use for a number of decades, it’s not surprising that there are multiple ways to say it! Here are some common translations of our word of the day “lit:”
- Chinese (Simplified) — 点燃
- Bulgarian — Осветена
- Arabic — مضاءة
- Vietnamese — thắp sáng
- Polish — Zapalił
- Ukrainian — Освітлений
- Turkish — Yaktı
- Swedish — Lit
- Spanish — encendido
- Portuguese — iluminado
- Korean — 조명
- Afrikaans — verlig
- Japanese — 点灯
- British English — Lit
- Italian — illuminato
- Greek — Αναμμένο
- French — allumé
- Dutch — Verlicht
- Czech — osvětlený
- Danish — tændt
- Finnish — valaistu
- German — angezündet
- Russian — литерал
- Thai — ฦทธิ์
- American English — Lit
Bottom Line
The word lit is both the past tense and past particle of light — but that’s not all. Our word of the day can also be used as the abbreviation of “literature” to describe someone who is under the influence of liquor or narcotics, as well as a slang term that generally describes something as amazing, awesome, and cool.
If you thought this article was lit, we invite you to check out our website where you’ll discover informative blogs, useful grammar tools, helpful tips and more.
Whether you’re looking for more information on a buzzy slang word or simply hoping to enhance your existing vocabulary, you can always count on us!
Sources:
Light Synonyms | Collins English Thesaurus
