lightning
/ˈlaɪtnɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈlaɪtnɪŋ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlīt-niŋ/ (ame, mw)
lightning — noun
1. the bright streak of light that briefly lights up the sky during a storm, caused
the bright streak of light that briefly lights up the sky during a storm, caused by large electrical forces travelling inside storm clouds or between a cloud and the ground below.
The lightning lit up the garden, so Niran could see the tomato plants clearly.
lightning lit up [place] — shows sudden illumination
A bolt of lightning struck the old church tower last night during the storm.
bolt of lightning — common noun collocation
Children in Anjali's class hid under their desks when the lightning started.
Tamar counted the seconds between the lightning and the thunder to find the distance.
The pilot flew the plane around the dark clouds where lightning was flashing.
- bolt
refers to a single visible discharge of lightning, often shaped like a line
- flash
emphasises the sudden bright light rather than the electrical discharge itself
- thunderbolt
a lightning bolt with thunder; less common in everyday speech
文法句型
a flash/bolt/strike of lightning
lightning + verb (strikes, flashes)
常見錯誤
lightning — adjective
- lightningpositive
- more lightningcomparative
- most lightningsuperlative
1. happening or moving at an extremely high speed, often describing quick actions,
happening or moving at an extremely high speed, often describing quick actions, decisions, or movements that take almost no time at all.
The cat made a lightning dash across the street to escape the car.
lightning dash — collocation for fast movement
Roya made a lightning decision to book the flight before the price went up.
lightning decision — collocation for quick choice
With lightning speed, the firefighter ran up the stairs to reach the child.
A lightning raid by the soldiers freed the hostages before midnight.
João's lightning reflexes helped him catch the glass before it hit the floor.
- rapid
slightly less intense than 'lightning'; neutral and more formal
- swift
similar speed, often used for natural or graceful movement
- instantaneous
emphasises that no time passes at all; more technical
文法句型
lightning + [noun of speed or action]
用法筆記
Almost always used before a noun — you can say 'lightning speed' but NOT 'the speed was lightning'. Cannot be used with 'more' or 'most' for comparison.
常見錯誤
lightning — verb
- lightnings3rd person singular
- lightning-ing form
- lightningedpast simple
1. of storm clouds or the sky during a storm, to produce a sudden bright flash of l
of storm clouds or the sky during a storm, to produce a sudden bright flash of lightning.
The sky lightninged all night, though the rain never reached the village.
the sky lightninged — subject + verb pattern for weather
Above the valley, the dark clouds lightninged without making any sound.
Jabari watched as it lightninged over the ocean, far away from the shore.
It had lightninged for two hours before the thunder finally started to roll.
文法句型
it + lightnings/lightninged
[sky/cloud] + lightnings/lightninged
用法筆記
Rare in everyday conversation — most speakers use phrases like 'there was lightning' or 'lightning flashed' instead. This verb appears mainly in literary descriptions of weather.