What does relight mean?
Relight means to light something again after it has gone out, been extinguished, or ceased to burn. The word is transitive when a particular object is being relit, as in “relight the lamp,” the fire, or the beacon. It can also function intransitively when the subject itself comes alight again. Although the meaning is straightforward, relight is especially associated with practical and nautical situations in which a light must be restored: a ship’s signal lamp, a campfire, a flare, or a warning beacon. The word also carries a mild sense of recovery, as though a source of illumination has returned after an interruption. Compared with the broader phrase “light again,” relight is concise and somewhat formal. Compared with reignite, it focuses more directly on producing light and less often suggests restoring enthusiasm, activity, or interest.
To light something again after it has gone out or been extinguished.
"The crew relit the oil lamps as the ship entered the harbor."
Commonly transitive, with the object being the lamp, fire, signal, or other source being relit.
To become lit or burning again.
"The charcoal slowly relit after the draft swept across the patio."
This intransitive use is less common and is especially natural with fires, flames, lamps, and signals.
From a darkened beacon to a dying campfire, relight is the practical word for making light return.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does relight come from?
Relight is a modern compound formed by adding the prefix re-, meaning “again,” to the verb light. The word light has Old English roots and refers both to illumination and to the act of setting fire or causing something to burn. Related English derivatives include lighting, lighthouse, daylight, and enlighten.
Related word forms
How relight is actually used
Relight is relatively uncommon in everyday speech but is especially used in nautical, survival, and emergency contexts. It is formal in register but more direct than the phrase “light again.”
Easily confused with relight
Relight means to light again, usually after it has gone out, whereas reignite can also mean to restore enthusiasm, energy, or activity that has declined.