Meanings
plural limelights
- countableuncountableThe intense white light produced when heating lime in an oxyhydrogen flame.
Synonyms: Drummond light
- countableuncountableA type of stage lighting once used in theatres and music halls, producing a bright light by the use of incandescent quicklime.
- broadlycountableuncountableAttention, notice, a starring or central role, present fame; spotlight.
steal the limelight
2 more examples
Remember Rappin' Duke? Duh-ha, duh-ha You never thought that hip-hop would take it this far Now I'm in the limelight 'cause I rhyme tight Time to get paid, blow up like the World Trade
1994, 0:41 from the start, in Juicy (Hip Hop), spoken by The Notorious B.I.G.The announcement marks a significant moment of triumph for the singer, whose departure from the limelight coincided with a health battle […]
2026 March 31, Lisa Respers France, “Celine Dion announces her return to the stage”, in edition.cnn.com
present singular third person limelights · participle present limelighting · participle past limelighted · past limelighted · participle past limelit · past limelit
- to illuminate with limelight
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe intense white light produced when heating lime in an oxyhydrogen flame.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna lamp consisting of a flame directed at a cylinder of lime with a lens to concentrate the light; formerly used for stage lighting
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Bulgarian център на внимание
- център на внимание (centăr na vnimanie)attention or notice
Catalan llum de calç, llum de prosceni
- llum de calçtype of stage lighting
- llum de proscenitype of stage lighting
- bateriatype of stage lighting
- centre d'atencióattention or notice
Chinese Mandarin 聚光燈 /聚光灯
- 聚光燈 /聚光灯 (jùguāngdēng)attention or notice
Czech reflektor
- reflektortype of stage lighting
Dutch kalklicht, spotlicht
- kalklichttype of stage lighting
- spotlichtattention or notice
Finnish kalkkivalo, parrasvalot
- kalkkivalotype of stage lighting
- parrasvalotattention or notice
French feux de la rampe
- feux de la rampetype of stage lighting
German Rampenlicht, Kalklicht
- Rampenlichttype of stage lighting
- Kalklichttype of stage lighting
- Rampenlichtattention or notice
Greek δημοσιότητα
- δημοσιότητα (dimosiótita)attention or notice
Italian luci della ribalta
- luci della ribaltatype of stage lighting
Japanese フットライト, ライムライト
- フットライト (futtoraito)type of stage lighting
- ライムライト (raimuraito)type of stage lighting
- 脚光 (kyakkō)type of stage lighting
Norwegian Bokmål kalklys, rampelys
- kalklystype of stage lighting
- rampelysattention or notice
Portuguese ribalta, luz de Drummond
- ribaltatype of stage lighting
- luz de Drummondtype of stage lighting
- luz oxídricatype of stage lighting
- destaqueattention or notice
- ribaltaattention or notice
Russian свет ра́мпы, центр внима́ния
- свет ра́мпы (svet rámpy)type of stage lighting
- центр внима́ния (centr vnimánija)attention or notice
Spanish luz serena, luz de candilejas
- luz serenatype of stage lighting
- luz de candilejastype of stage lighting
- candilejastype of stage lighting
- luz cálcicatype of stage lighting
Swedish kalkljus, rampljus
- kalkljustype of stage lighting
- rampljusattention or notice
Cite this entry
limelight. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/limelight
“limelight.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/limelight. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “limelight,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/limelight.
Source: limelight on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.