relight

R1E1L1I1G2H4T1

verb

To light or kindle anew.

UncommonScrabble 11

Meanings

verbrelight (third-person singular simple present relights, present participle relighting, simple past and past participle relighted or relit)

present singular third person relights · participle present relighting · participle past relighted · past relighted · participle past relit · past relit

  1. ambitransitiveTo light or kindle anew.

    By Tuesday evening the track had been cleared to the three snowbound engines, and the following day, under their own steam, they were moved away; the business of relighting their fires and raising steam in such conditions is better imagined than described.

    1941 April, “Notes and News: Railwaymen and Snow”, in Railway Magazine, page 178
    1 more example

    This act of politeness having in some mysterious way set Mr Limpet's mind at rest, he produced an immense pipe, which he had apparently been smoking prior to the curate's entrance, and relit it, while the curate, seated gingerly on the edge of the rocking chair, surreptitiously inspected the room, which was so close to the roof as to make the December heat uncomfortably apparent.

    1913, Norman Lindsay, A Curate in Bohemia, Sydney: N.S.W. Bookstall Co., published 1932, page 6
  2. To light or illuminate anew.

    The lights went down on Gilbert ranting and raving about surviving nuclear war. The stage was relit and Holly sang her song, "Family Promise," written to her baby nephew.

    1983 April 30, Sue Hyde, “Expanding Worldviews”, in Gay Community News, page 12
  3. transitivecomputer graphicsTo render again with different simulated lighting conditions.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see

Origin

  1. Proto-Italic*wre-
  2. Latinre-
  3. Old Frenchre-
  4. Middle Englishre-
  5. Englishre-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*lewk-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*lewktom
  8. Proto-Germanic*leuhtą
  9. Proto-Indo-European*lewk-
  10. Proto-Indo-European*lewk-to-s
  11. Proto-Germanic*leuhtaz
  12. Proto-Germanic*liuhtijaną
  13. Proto-West Germanic*liuhtijan
  14. Old Englishlīehtan
  15. Middle Englishlighten
  16. Englishlight
  17. Englishrelight

From re- + light.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Irish athlas
  • athlasto light or kindle anew
Italian riaccendere, raccendere
  • riaccendereto light or kindle anew
  • raccendereto light or kindle anew
Polish zapalać ponownie, zapalić ponownie
  • zapalać ponownieto light or kindle anew
  • zapalić ponownieto light or kindle anew

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with relight

All rhymes →

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

relight. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/relight

MLA

“relight.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/relight. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “relight,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/relight.

Source: relight on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.