Meanings
nounspotlight (plural spotlights)
plural spotlights
- broadlyThe circle of light shed by a spotlight.
- figurativelyThe center of attention; the highlight or most important part.
Some people enjoy the spotlight.
1 more example
Billionaires like Warren Buffet and Bill Gates are known for their charitable contributions, but not all great givers crave the spotlight. Last night, a Massachusetts general hospital in Boston, an anonymous individual gave an unprecedented donation of two hundred human kidneys. This secret benefactor delivered his gift a few minutes before four a.m. this morning, as seen here in the security camera footage.
2008 March 11, The Onion, 00:05 from the start, in Anonymous Hero Donates Hospital 200 Human Kidneys (Comedy; Satire), via YouTube - A showcase.
verbspotlight (third-person singular simple present spotlights, present participle spotlighting, simple past and past participle spotlighted or spotlit)
present singular third person spotlights · participle present spotlighting · participle past spotlighted · past spotlighted · participle past spotlit · past spotlit
- transitiveTo illuminate with a spotlight.
We spotlight the star, but the supporting cast has all the great lines in this scene.
1 more example
The first act of Me & Julie presents Mr. Short in a black tie at his piano, beneath a golden arched proscenium, spotlighted on an otherwise dark stage.
1984 April 14, Michael Bronski, “Sophistication and Verve”, in Gay Community News, page 18 - figurativelytransitiveTo draw attention to.
The news series served to spotlight corruption.
Synonyms & antonyms
verbSynonym of jacklight (“to use a spotlight in hunting animals”).
Similar
Broader
Broader
More synonyms by meaning
nouna lamp that produces a strong beam of light to illuminate a restricted area; used to focus attention of a stage performer
Similar
Broader
verbmove into the foreground to make more visible or prominent
Similar
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Afrikaans kollig, kollig
- kolliga bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
- kolligthe center of attention; the highlight or most important part
Arabic أَضْوَاء
- أَضْوَاء (ʔaḍwāʔ)the center of attention; the highlight or most important part
Bulgarian проже́ктор, център на внимание
- проже́ктор (prožéktor)a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
- център на внимание (centăr na vnimanie)the center of attention; the highlight or most important part
- осветявам (osvetjavam)illuminate with a spotlight
- обръщам внимание (obrăštam vnimanie)draw attention to
Catalan focus
- focusa bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
Chinese Mandarin 聚光燈 /聚光灯, 焦點 /焦点
- 聚光燈 /聚光灯 (jùguāngdēng)a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
- 焦點 /焦点 (jiāodiǎn)the center of attention; the highlight or most important part
- 重點 /重点 (zhòngdiǎn)the center of attention; the highlight or most important part
Dutch spotlight
- spotlighta bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
Esperanto spoto, planklumo
- spotoa bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
- planklumoa bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
- lumĵetiloa bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
- lumĵetiilluminate with a spotlight
- spotiilluminate with a spotlight
Finnish valonheitin, kohdevalo
- valonheitina bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
- kohdevaloa bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
- valokeilathe circle of light shed by a spotlight
- huomion keskipistethe center of attention; the highlight or most important part
- valaistailluminate with a spotlight
- kiinnittää huomiotadraw attention to
French projecteur
- projecteura bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
German Scheinwerfer, Scheinwerferlicht
- Scheinwerfera bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
- Scheinwerferlichtthe circle of light shed by a spotlight
- Schlaglichtthe circle of light shed by a spotlight
- Rampenlichtthe center of attention; the highlight or most important part
Hebrew זְרַקּוֹר
- זְרַקּוֹר (zraqór)a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
Hungarian reflektor, reflektorfény
- reflektora bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
- reflektorfénythe circle of light shed by a spotlight
Italian riflettore
- riflettorea bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
Japanese スポットライト
- スポットライト (supottoraito)the center of attention; the highlight or most important part
Māori tīwhiri, tūrama arotahi
- tīwhiria bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
- tūrama arotahiilluminate with a spotlight
Norwegian Bokmål søkelys, søkelys
- søkelysa bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
- søkelysthe center of attention; the highlight or most important part
Persian نورافکن, پروژکتور
- نورافکن (nurâfkan)a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
- پروژکتور (prožektor)a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
Polish reflektor, jupiter
- reflektora bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
- jupitera bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
- centrum uwagithe center of attention; the highlight or most important part
Portuguese refletor, holofote
- refletora bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
- holofotea bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
- holofotethe circle of light shed by a spotlight
- holofotesthe center of attention; the highlight or most important part
- centro das atençõesthe center of attention; the highlight or most important part
Russian проже́ктор, центр внима́ния
- проже́ктор (prožéktor)a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
- центр внима́ния (centr vnimánija)the center of attention; the highlight or most important part
Scottish Gaelic solas mòr, solas mòr
- solas mòra bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
- solas mòrthe circle of light shed by a spotlight
Spanish foco, proyector
- focoa bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
- proyectora bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
- rodal alumbradothe circle of light shed by a spotlight
- foco de atenciónthe center of attention; the highlight or most important part
- centro atencionalthe center of attention; the highlight or most important part
- enfocarilluminate with a spotlight
Swedish strålkastare, spotlight
- strålkastarea bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
- spotlighta bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
- slagljusthe circle of light shed by a spotlight
- strålkastarljusthe circle of light shed by a spotlight
- rampljusthe center of attention; the highlight or most important part
- strålkastarljusthe center of attention; the highlight or most important part
Thai สบอตไลท์
- สบอตไลท์a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
Turkish spot lambası
- spot lambasıa bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
spotlight. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spotlight
MLA
“spotlight.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spotlight. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “spotlight,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spotlight.
Source: spotlight on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.