epiphany
n.a moment when you suddenly understand something very important. It feels like a light bulb turning on in your head.
n.a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something. Often involves a transformative realization triggered by a commonplace occurrence.
“She had an epiphany about her career while walking in the park.”
“After weeks of struggling with the math problem, he had a sudden epiphany that revealed the solution.”
“The protagonist experiences a profound epiphany in the final chapter, realizing that his pursuit of wealth has cost him his most valued relationships.”
Often used with the verbs 'have' or 'experience' and the preposition 'about'.
“When finally given the chance to try his hand at waiting tables, he has an epiphany that serving others gives him satisfaction and purpose.”
“Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian After being persuaded to see live comedy while studying philosophy at university, she had an epiphany.”
PIE word *h₁epi See epiphany.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.