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 Web
Serenity Gibbons, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Fighting has blazed in Kharkiv since the early days of the full-scale war, and swathes of the northeastern Ukrainian region were captured by Russia in 2022 before a lightning Ukrainian counteroffensive peeled back Moscow's grip on much of the region.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2024
Dallas News, 17 Oct. 2022
As art, the districts are a whimsical collection of fire-breathing dragons, lightning bolts and doodlebugs.
—Dallas News, 3 Jan. 2023
See all Example Sentences for lightning 
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Noun
Wong goes on to compare corporate culture to capturing lightning in a bottle.
—Serenity Gibbons, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Fighting has blazed in Kharkiv since the early days of the full-scale war, and swathes of the northeastern Ukrainian region were captured by Russia in 2022 before a lightning Ukrainian counteroffensive peeled back Moscow's grip on much of the region.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2024
Verb
The bar also has a basketball court — put in after a tree was struck by lightning and fell over into the parking lot.
—Dallas News, 17 Oct. 2022
As art, the districts are a whimsical collection of fire-breathing dragons, lightning bolts and doodlebugs.
—Dallas News, 3 Jan. 2023
See all Example Sentences for lightning
Dictionary Entries Near lightning
Cite this Entry
“Lightning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lightning. Accessed 23 Nov. 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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