alight
Definitions
To get down from a vehicle, train or horse
（从车、马等）下来；下车
(of a bird or insect) to come down and settle
（鸟、虫）落下；停歇
On fire; burning
燃烧着的；着火的
Lit up; shining
发亮的；闪耀的
Root Breakdown
Native EnglishTwo different stories share one spelling. The verb 'alight' (get down / settle) comes from Old English a- + lihtan 'to make light, lighten' — getting off a horse literally lightened its load, so alihtan meant 'dismount.' The adjective 'alight' (on fire / shining) is a- ('on, in a state of') + light (the 'flame, brightness' sense) = in a state of being lit.
Root light still carries 58 more wordsWhy It Means This
Don't be fooled by the single spelling: the 'dismount' meaning traces to 'make lighter' (taking weight off), while the 'on fire' meaning traces to 'light' as in flame. So 'alight' quietly carries both halves of light's history — its weight sense and its brightness sense — in two unrelated meanings.
Usage Guide
The verb 'alight (from)' is formal/BrE, common in transport announcements; in everyday AmE people say 'get off.' The adjective 'alight' is predicative only — say 'the house is alight,' not 'an alight house.'
Example Sentences
- 1.
Passengers must alight from the train on the left side.
- 2.
A sparrow alighted on the windowsill and looked in.
- 3.
Within minutes the whole barn was alight.
- 4.
Her face was alight with excitement at the news.