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 WebCharles Elliott, Outdoor Life, 27 June 2024
What started as an underground party dance with people sharing dynamic acrobatics and lightning fast step-work during the breaks in music (hence the sport’s name) has since transformed into a worldwide phenomenon.
—Meron Menghistab, Allure, 27 June 2024
Storms could produce heavy rain, dangerous lightning, wind gusts near or over 60 mph and large hail up to 1 inch in diameter.
—Jeff Halverson, Washington Post, 26 June 2024
In Earth’s youth, there were many sources of intense heat and plenty of sparks—lightning, volcanoes, rockfalls—but hardly any free oxygen or dry and combustible matter.
—Ferris Jabr, The Atlantic, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for lightning 
Noun
His lightning run broke the line and left me rocking.
—Charles Elliott, Outdoor Life, 27 June 2024
What started as an underground party dance with people sharing dynamic acrobatics and lightning fast step-work during the breaks in music (hence the sport’s name) has since transformed into a worldwide phenomenon.
—Meron Menghistab, Allure, 27 June 2024
Storms could produce heavy rain, dangerous lightning, wind gusts near or over 60 mph and large hail up to 1 inch in diameter.
—Jeff Halverson, Washington Post, 26 June 2024
In Earth’s youth, there were many sources of intense heat and plenty of sparks—lightning, volcanoes, rockfalls—but hardly any free oxygen or dry and combustible matter.
—Ferris Jabr, The Atlantic, 25 June 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 2 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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