Lightning Definition & Meaning

American

British

Scientific

Cultural

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Synonyms 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.

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 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.

lightning Cultural

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

lightning More Idioms

More idioms and phrases containing lightning

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

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Heat causes more deaths in the U.S. annually than floods, storms, and lightning combined,” Muntu Davis, Los Angeles County’s health officer, said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times

Some will be able to come back more quickly than others, but this doesn’t happen with lightning speed.

From Barron's

Her name was Concha and she was kind of this lightning rod.

From Los Angeles Times

This century, America sank into two of its longest wars—in Afghanistan and Iraq—following lightning strikes that removed governments deemed threats to U.S. national security.

From The Wall Street Journal

Diminutive in stature but lightning quick with a bullet pass, the 19-year-old reminds Care of himself as a promising teenager.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.