1
: the flashing of light produced by a discharge of atmospheric electricity
also
: the discharge itself
2
: a sudden stroke of fortune
candidates … hoping for real lightning to strike—
Time
Time
: having or moving with or as if with the speed and suddenness of lightning
a lightning assault
Synonyms
Examples of lightning in a Sentence
Adjective
thoughts moving at lightning speed
he made a lightning dash for the goal
Recent Examples on the WebLiz Lindqwister, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 July 2024
On Saturday morning, the fire, sparked by lightning on June 22, was 1,193 acres and 50% contained, double the 25% containment reached on Thursday.
—Julianna O'Clair, The Denver Post, 7 July 2024
The utility said its crews are assessing storm damage and determining what aspect of the storm caused the most outages, though lightning appears to have been a major issue.
—Andrea Klick, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2024
The search of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s Oakland residence is a lightning bolt electrifying the city’s government and politics.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 1 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for lightning 
Noun
Indigenous peoples of California historically tended the land by igniting frequent, low-intensity burns, mimicking natural disturbances caused by lightning.
—Liz Lindqwister, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 July 2024
On Saturday morning, the fire, sparked by lightning on June 22, was 1,193 acres and 50% contained, double the 25% containment reached on Thursday.
—Julianna O'Clair, The Denver Post, 7 July 2024
The utility said its crews are assessing storm damage and determining what aspect of the storm caused the most outages, though lightning appears to have been a major issue.
—Andrea Klick, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2024
The search of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s Oakland residence is a lightning bolt electrifying the city’s government and politics.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 1 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for lightning
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lightning.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near lightning
Cite this Entry
“Lightning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lightning. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lightning
1 of 2 noun
light·ning
ˈlīt-niŋ 
: the flashing of light produced by a discharge of atmospheric electricity from one cloud to another or between a cloud and the earth
also
: the discharge itself
lightning
2 of 2 adjective
: moving or done with or as if with the speed of lightning
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