Phrasal verb
light out
Definition
phrasal verb. to leave a place quickly, often because of fear or urgency.
phrasal verb. to depart hastily or flee from a location; typically used in informal contexts and often followed by 'of' to indicate the place being left.
Examples
“He decided to light out of the room when he saw the police.”
“The crowd lighted out of the burning building as soon as the alarm sounded.”
“Faced with the sudden threat, the group had no choice but to light out of the village before dawn.”
Examples
simple
“He decided to light out of the room when he saw the police.”
contextual
“The crowd lighted out of the burning building as soon as the alarm sounded.”
complex
“Faced with the sudden threat, the group had no choice but to light out of the village before dawn.”
Usage
Commonly followed by 'of' to specify the place being left.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'run away' (more general) and 'flee' (more formal); 'light out' implies urgency or fear.
Pitfall
I lighted out the house
I lighted out of the house
the preposition 'of' is required to indicate the place being left.
Phrasal verb
Particles
out
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
light + out + of + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related words
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/light-out