Standard Lemma guide

spotlight

noun · verb · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈspɒtˌlaɪt/
  • Canada, US: /ˈspɑtˌlaɪt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /ˈspɔtˌlɑɪt/
  • CMU ARPABET: S P AA1 T L AY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A bright, directional light or lamp, especially one used to illuminate the focus or center of attention on a stage.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The circle of light shed by a spotlight.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The center of attention; the highlight or most important part.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

Examples

  • Some people enjoy the spotlight.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A showcase.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To illuminate with a spotlight.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • We spotlight the star, but the supporting cast has all the great lines in this scene.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To draw attention to.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, transitive

Examples

  • The news series served to spotlight corruption.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

Synonym of jacklight (“to use a spotlight in hunting animals”).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: jacklight

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

a lamp that produces a strong beam of light to illuminate a restricted area; used to focus attention of a stage performer

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: spot

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: lamp

9

noun

Meaning 9

a focus of public attention

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he enjoyed being in the limelight
  • when Congress investigates it brings the full glare of publicity to the agency

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: limelight, glare, public eye

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: prominence

10

verb

Meaning 10

illuminate with a spotlight, as in the theater

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: light, illume, illumine, light up, illuminate

11

verb

Meaning 11

move into the foreground to make more visible or prominent

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The introduction highlighted the speaker's distinguished career in linguistics

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: foreground, highlight, play up

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: bring out, set off

History

Etymology

From spot + light.

Across languages

Translations

73 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: kollig — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Bulgarian: проже́ктор (prožéktor) — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Catalan: focus — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Chinese Mandarin: 聚光燈 /聚光灯 (jùguāngdēng) — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Dutch: spotlight — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Esperanto: spoto — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Esperanto: planklumo — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Esperanto: lumĵetilo — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Finnish: valonheitin — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Finnish: kohdevalo — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • French: projecteur — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • German: Scheinwerfer — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Hebrew: זְרַקּוֹר (zraqór) — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Hungarian: reflektor — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Italian: riflettore — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Manx: spohthoilshey — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Māori: tīwhiri — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Norwegian Bokmål: søkelys — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Persian: نورافکن (nurâfkan) — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Persian: پروژکتور (prožektor) — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Polish: reflektor — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Polish: jupiter — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Portuguese: refletor — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Portuguese: holofote — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Russian: проже́ктор (prožéktor) — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Scottish Gaelic: solas mòr — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Slovene: žaromet — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Spanish: foco — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Spanish: proyector — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Swedish: strålkastare — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Swedish: spotlight — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Thai: สบอตไลท์ — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Turkish: spot lambası — a bright lamp, especially one used to illuminate the center of attention on a stage
  • Finnish: valokeila — the circle of light shed by a spotlight
  • German: Scheinwerferlicht — the circle of light shed by a spotlight
  • German: Schlaglicht — the circle of light shed by a spotlight
  • Hungarian: reflektorfény — the circle of light shed by a spotlight
  • Manx: spohthoilshey — the circle of light shed by a spotlight
  • Portuguese: holofote — the circle of light shed by a spotlight
  • Scottish Gaelic: solas mòr — the circle of light shed by a spotlight
  • Spanish: rodal alumbrado — the circle of light shed by a spotlight
  • Swedish: slagljus — the circle of light shed by a spotlight
  • Swedish: strålkastarljus — the circle of light shed by a spotlight
  • Afrikaans: kollig — the center of attention; the highlight or most important part
  • Arabic: أَضْوَاء (ʔaḍwāʔ) — the center of attention; the highlight or most important part
  • Bulgarian: център на внимание (centǎr na vnimanie) — the center of attention; the highlight or most important part
  • Chinese Mandarin: 焦點 /焦点 (jiāodiǎn) — the center of attention; the highlight or most important part
  • Chinese Mandarin: 重點 /重点 (zhòngdiǎn) — the center of attention; the highlight or most important part
  • Finnish: huomion keskipiste — the center of attention; the highlight or most important part
  • German: Rampenlicht — the center of attention; the highlight or most important part
  • Japanese: スポットライト (supottoraito) — the center of attention; the highlight or most important part
  • Macedonian: це́нтар на внима́ние (céntar na vnimánie) — the center of attention; the highlight or most important part
  • Norwegian Bokmål: søkelys — the center of attention; the highlight or most important part
  • Polish: centrum uwagi — the center of attention; the highlight or most important part
  • Portuguese: holofotes — the center of attention; the highlight or most important part
  • Portuguese: centro das atenções — the center of attention; the highlight or most important part
  • Russian: центр внима́ния (centr vnimánija) — the center of attention; the highlight or most important part
  • Serbo-Croatian: centar pozornosti — the center of attention; the highlight or most important part
  • Serbo-Croatian: vidjelo — the center of attention; the highlight or most important part
  • Spanish: foco de atención — the center of attention; the highlight or most important part
  • Spanish: centro atencional — the center of attention; the highlight or most important part
  • Swedish: rampljus — the center of attention; the highlight or most important part
  • Swedish: strålkastarljus — the center of attention; the highlight or most important part
  • Bulgarian: осветявам (osvetjavam) — illuminate with a spotlight
  • Esperanto: lumĵeti — illuminate with a spotlight
  • Esperanto: spoti — illuminate with a spotlight
  • Finnish: valaista — illuminate with a spotlight
  • Macedonian: о́светли (ósvetli) — illuminate with a spotlight
  • Māori: tūrama arotahi — illuminate with a spotlight
  • Spanish: enfocar — illuminate with a spotlight
  • Bulgarian: обръщам внимание (obrǎštam vnimanie) — draw attention to
  • Finnish: kiinnittää huomiota — draw attention to
  • Macedonian: свр́ти внима́ние (svŕti vnimánie) — draw attention to
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