lighter
gb/lˈaɪtɚ/ us/lˈaɪtɚ/
A1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
device that makes a flame
A small thing you use to make a flame.
Usage pattern:
a lighter; [someone] has a lighter; light [something] with a lighter
Common mistake:
Do not confuse the noun lighter (a device) with the adjective lighter (less heavy / less dark).
Synonyms
igniter (More general/technical; not as common for a handheld lighter.)
Collocations
a cigarette lighter
|a pocket lighter
|a disposable lighter
|a refillable lighter
|a butane lighter
|a gas lighter
|a torch lighter
|a lighter sparks
|flick a lighter
|borrow a lighter
Themes
daily_life
|tools
|smoking
|home
Examples
- Do you have a lighter? I need to light this candle.
- He flicked the lighter and held the flame under the kettle.
- My lighter ran out of fuel halfway through the trip.
Learner examples
- I have a lighter.
- Can I borrow your lighter?
adjective
A1
property
2
less heavy than something
Not as heavy.
Usage pattern:
[something] is lighter (than [something]); a lighter [thing]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse lighter (less heavy) with lighter (less dark in color). Context usually makes it clear.
Synonyms
less heavy (More explicit; often used when comparing two things.)
Antonyms
heavier (Having more weight.)
Collocations
lighter weight
|lighter bag
|lighter suitcase
|lighter than it looks
|lighter materials
|a lighter load
|lighter clothing
|lighter shoes
|get lighter
|make it lighter
Themes
daily_life
|describing_things
Examples
- This laptop is lighter than my old one.
- Try a lighter backpack for the hike.
- The box felt lighter once we took the books out.
Learner examples
- This bag is lighter.
- The chair is lighter than the table.
adjective
A2
property
3
paler or less dark
Less dark in color.
Usage pattern:
[something] is lighter (than [something]); a lighter shade of [color]
Common mistake:
Do not use lighter for brightness in a room if you mean 'more light'; say 'brighter' instead.
Synonyms
paler (Often used for skin, colors, and light pastel tones.)
Antonyms
darker (Less close to white; more dark in color.)
Collocations
lighter color
|lighter shade
|lighter blue
|lighter hair
|lighter skin tone
|lighter paint
|a lighter background
|go lighter
|slightly lighter
|two shades lighter
Themes
appearance
|colors
Examples
- I like this sweater, but I want it in a lighter color.
- Her hair is a little lighter in summer.
- Choose a lighter shade of gray for the walls.
Learner examples
- This blue is lighter.
- I want a lighter color.
adjective
B2
property
4
less serious or more cheerful
More happy and less serious.
Usage pattern:
a lighter mood/tone/topic; something feels lighter
Common mistake:
In this sense, lighter does not mean 'less heavy' physically; it refers to mood or tone.
Synonyms
more cheerful (Focuses on positive mood rather than lack of seriousness.)
|
less serious (Focuses on tone/topic rather than emotion.)
Antonyms
more serious (More grave or important in tone.)
|
heavier (Figurative: more intense, depressing, or serious.)
Collocations
a lighter mood
|a lighter tone
|lighter conversation
|lighter moments
|a lighter side
|keep it lighter
|something feels lighter
|on a lighter note
|lighter entertainment
|a lighter approach
Themes
emotions
|communication
Examples
- After the news, they tried to switch to a lighter topic.
- The movie starts slow but gets lighter in the second half.
- Jokes helped keep the mood lighter during a stressful week.
Learner examples
- Let’s talk about something lighter.
- The mood feels lighter now.
adjective
B1
property
5
less strong or intense
Not as strong or not as difficult.
Usage pattern:
a lighter meal/exercise/workout; lighter music/flavor
Common mistake:
This sense is about intensity (food, work, exercise), not physical weight.
Synonyms
milder (Often used for taste, weather, criticism, or symptoms.)
|
less intense (More general; works across many contexts.)
Antonyms
stronger (More intense in effect, flavor, or force.)
|
harsher (More severe or difficult to tolerate.)
Collocations
a lighter meal
|lighter exercise
|a lighter workout
|lighter duties
|a lighter schedule
|lighter music
|lighter reading
|lighter penalties
|a lighter version
|a lighter flavor
Themes
health
|food_and_drink
|work
|music
Examples
- After the holiday, I prefer a lighter meal.
- She’s doing lighter exercise while her knee heals.
- We need a lighter schedule next month or people will burn out.
Learner examples
- I want a lighter meal today.
- This workout is lighter.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
6
barge for loading ships
A type of boat used to carry cargo near a ship.
Usage pattern:
a lighter; load [cargo] onto a lighter
Common mistake:
This is unrelated to the flame-making device; it is a shipping term.
Synonyms
barge (Broader term; not specifically for transferring cargo to/from ships.)
Collocations
a cargo lighter
|a harbour lighter
|a lighter barge
|load a lighter
|unload into lighters
|lighterage services
|ship-to-shore lightering
|bring cargo by lighter
|a lighter alongside
|tow a lighter
Themes
transport
|shipping
Examples
- The containers were moved ashore by lighter because the water was too shallow for the ship.
- Several lighters waited alongside the tanker to take on cargo.
- The port used lighters to shuttle supplies to anchored vessels.
Noun
literary
C1
role
7
person who lights lamps
A person who lights lamps (an old job).
Usage pattern:
a lighter; the lighter lit [something]
Common mistake:
This is rare in modern everyday use; 'lamplighter' is more common for the historical job.
Synonyms
lamplighter (More common term for this historical job.)
Collocations
a street-lamp lighter
|the town's lighter
|a gas-lamp lighter
|the lighter's rounds
|the lighter lit the lamps
|lamps were lit by a lighter
Themes
jobs
|history
Examples
- In the novel, the lighter walked the streets at dusk to light the lamps.
- The museum shows tools used by a lamp lighter in the 1800s.
Grammar
Dictionary form
lighter
IPA
GB/lˈaɪtɚ/
US/lˈaɪtɚ/
Syllables & stress
light - er (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (light)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: lighter
- Plural: lighters
Word family
Forms
lighters
noun
Core family
light
noun A1
Negative and opposite forms
unlit
adjective
Advanced or less common
enlighten
verb
enlightenment
noun B2
Expressions
a shade lighter
1/ə ʃˈeɪd lˈaɪtɚ/
fixed phrase
slightly lighter in color
A little lighter in color.
Examples
- Can we paint the room a shade lighter?
- This foundation is a shade lighter than my skin tone.
- Her hair looked a shade lighter after the holiday.
in a lighter vein
1/ˈɪn ə lˈaɪtɚ vˈeɪn/
fixed phrase
formal
in a less serious way
In a less serious way.
Examples
- In a lighter vein, he ended the speech with a funny story.
- The article begins with hard numbers but later shifts in a lighter vein.
- She replied in a lighter vein to ease the tension.
lighter than air
1/lˈaɪtɚ ðən ˈɛɹ/
fixed phrase
able to float in air
It can float up because it is not as heavy as air.
Examples
- Helium is lighter than air, so balloons rise.
- A blimp is a lighter-than-air aircraft.
- They used a lighter-than-air craft for aerial filming.
on a lighter note
1/ˈɔn ə lˈaɪtɚ nˈoʊt/
fixed phrase
change to less serious topic
We will talk about something less serious now.
Examples
- On a lighter note, the new café finally opened down the street.
- On a lighter note, we’ve already met our sales target for the month.
- On a lighter note, how was your weekend?