lit
/ˈlɪt/verb, adjective, noun
lit is spelled L-I-T: 3 letters and one syllable. It appears 15 times per million words in written English, the 5,206th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, lit means “To run or light (alight)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in lit?
| Letters | 3: L-I-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 15 times per million words; the 5,206th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is lit?
Lit appears 15 times per million words in written English, the 5,206th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce lit?
- /ˈlɪt/
Lit has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-lit.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with lit?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as lit from its last stressed vowel (/ɪt/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: til.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of lit
- lits present, singular, he/she/it
- litting participle, present
- litted participle, past
- more lit comparative
- most lit superlative
- litter comparative
- littest superlative
- &lits plural
- & lit.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does lit mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
USTo run or light (alight).
- 2
To colour; dye.
- 3
simple past and past participle of light (“illuminate; start a fire; etc”)
- 4
simple past and past participle of light (“alight: land, come down on”)
adjective
- 1
Illuminated.
He walked down the lit corridor.
- 2
slangDrunk, intoxicated; under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
True to my word last night, I got very lit.
- 3
slangSexually aroused, (especially) visibly so.
- 4
slangExciting, captivating; fun.
This party is gonna be lit.
- 5
slangExcellent, fantastic; cool.
Those jeans are lit.
- 6
obsoleteLittle.
noun
- 1
UKColour; blee; dye; stain.
- 2
obsoleteLittle.
- 3
Clipping of literature.
Do we have any lit homework tonight?
noun
- 1
Abbreviation of literature.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Lit in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | allumé , litt., littᵗ |
| German | beleuchtet, angezündet , geil |
| Portuguese | aceso, iluminado |
| Spanish | encendido, alumbrado, iluminado, aluzado , viajado, pasado |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does lit come from?
Alteration of earlier light, from Middle English lighte, from Old English līhtte, first and third person singular preterite of līhtan (“to light”), by analogy with bit. More at light; compare fit (“fought”). This form was proscribed during the 18th and 19th centuries, with lighted being preferred, but is now the most common past form of light.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).