What the word lit means

Update: This meaning was added in January 2021.

If you watched the Olympics and were on Twitter, you likely know that comedian Leslie Jones was posting her own commentary. The universal consensus: Leslie’s commentary was lit.

Older Slang Usage of Lit

The slang lit has a long history. Its earliest meaning is “intoxicated,” and that shows up in English as far back as the 1910s:

We walked into the vamp’s house. We all got lit and had a hell of a time. —John McGavock Grider, War Birds: Diary of an Unknown Aviator, 1918

This particular use of lit comes from the original use of lit to refer to something that is illumined or has light shining on it (from the past tense of the verb light). It sounds like a semantic stretch, but it’s not: lit and lit up are often used to refer to the look on someone’s face when they are suddenly made happy by something, and there’s no denying that many people feel or look similarly happy when under the influence.

Though the “drunk” meaning of lit has a pedigree stretching back over a century, it is still considered slang: it doesn’t have the same sort of all-purpose use that drunk does, and it still shows up generally in very informal settings, like speech and rap lyrics. In fact, the “intoxicated” sense of lit has had a resurgence of use among a new generation of youth thanks in no small part to rap.

New Meaning of Lit

Rap has also given us a new meaning of lit. In the last ten or so years, lit has transitioned from being applied to the act of intoxicating («gonna get lit») to the environment of those who are lit («party’s lit»). The wildness of such parties has led to lit gaining the meaning “exciting,” as well as a broader meaning along the lines of “excellent” (“Leslie Jones’s commentary on the Olympics was lit»). We have evidence of the “exciting” and “excellent” meanings way back to 2004, and earlier use is likely—slang is often spoken long before it’s written down. This extended meaning of lit is a favorite on social media like Twitter:

Unlike the earlier “intoxicated sense,” this meaning is just starting to make the leap from personal messages to edited prose.

Words We’re Watching talks about words we are increasingly seeing in use but that have not yet met our criteria for entry.

Оливье доели, шампанское выпили — новогодние гуляния подходят к концу. Это было круто! Cool? Нет — lit!

Слово lit постепенно заменяет в языке привычное многим cool (классный). Особенно если речь идет о вечеринках и барах — чтобы звучать современно, можете сказать «This New Year party was lit. Repeat next year!» («Эта вечеринка была блестящей. В следующем году повторим!»).

А вообще, вне сленга, слово lit можно перевести как «зажженный», «горит», «светится». «Lit a match» — «Зажечь спичку».

Возможно, вы из тех счастливчиков, кто взял себе отпуск после январских каникул — тогда вы можете отплясывать (cut a rug) на вечеринках до февраля. Завидуем! Главное, не оставляйте после себя мертвых солдатов (расслабьтесь, это сленг такой) и не забывайте учить английский. Вам пригодятся вот эти 10 фраз для тусовок.

This state of quiescence, this objectless, dreamless torpor, this transition _du lit a la table, de la table au lit_, — what more dreary and monotonous existence can you devise? ❋ Edward Bulwer Lytton Lytton (1838)

He sat staring at Harry from the darkness, his expression lit by the glow of the approaching fire and filled with suspicion. ❋ Michael Dobbs (2008)

And she tried to listen to the woman but could not concentrate because the name lit up her brain, one of those deep sheer flashes that take forty years to happen. ❋ Don Delillo (2008)

His expression lit with the fires of youthful enthusiasm. ❋ Jayne Castle (1996)

I’ve always thought the phrase lit up with joy was stupid, but it’s like someone shoved a burning thousand-watt lightbulb down her throat. ❋ MAYA SLOAN (2010)

The wasted terrain lit up, making a false fatal noon of the nighttime. ❋ Unknown (2009)

«Lit-lit is boss of this place,» he announced significantly at the table the morning after the wedding. ❋ Unknown (2010)

Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. ❋ Unknown (2010)

I’d need a high-resolution foto (e.g., a jpg) of you looking up, lit from the front/top (e.g., looking at a light bulb), with the camera angle from below, at least 2000 pixels across. ❋ Frankwu (2009)

Second, thought no one seems to want to admit it, Chick lit is just the opposite end of the gender spectrum from an author like, say, Nick Hornby (who gets feted by the critics every time he comes out with a book). ❋ Unknown (2009)

Pitck from Pine and Fir can be lit from the sparhs of the rod. ❋ Unknown (2009)

Food lit is the only non-fiction genre with its own shelf (everything else is just shelved under non-fiction). ❋ Unknown (2009)

The road of YA lit is littered with car crashes, a signal event of just about every problem novel published in the 1970s. ❋ Roger Sutton (2009)

John : did you [go to] that party last night
[Daquan] : yes [that shit] was lit ❋ Fatoubobala (2014)

Rapper #1: [Ey], bruh want some weeeeeeeeeeeeeed?
Rapper #2: Yo, that shit lit, bruh [lemme] [at it]. ❋ @realdolanddump (2018)

«Oh man we were [so lit] last night, that was a lit [ass time] with lit ass friends.» stfu this word used excessively becomes lame and un-lit and makes u seem like a [try hard] mf ❋ Doghoe44 (2016)

[Last night] I was lit, and I [fucked] [your sister]. ❋ Ralph Fff (2002)

«Hey dan lets go [get lit] and [jump off] my [roof]!» ❋ Sam Aka Simithy (2005)

1.
John: That party last night was lit!
Dave: Yeah, it was [pretty nice]! Let’s go to more parties like that!
2.
John: HOW IS [THE KITCHEN] ON FIRE?!
Dave: I… might have accidentally lit it on fire while cooking breakfast…
John: [You fucking idiot]. ❋ Kaz0o (2018)

i’m so [fuckin] lit…. ❋ ..pothead (2003)

[Shit son], I [got LIT] [at that] party! ❋ StevetheMAN (2005)

[wow], that [class] was [lit af] ❋ Suckadicksssssssssssssssssssss (2017)

Yo did you hear [the tron] 3 movie got [scrapped]!?
Yeah bruh I’m so pissed because that shit was [about to be] lit 🔥🔥🔥💯. ❋ TommyBahamaDMP (2015)