Meaning & use
flashing light
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A light that turns on and off quickly and repeatedly, often used as a warning or signal.
Grammar: Countable: a flashing light, flashing lights.
Patterns
- a flashing light
- flashing lights on something
- see a flashing light
The flashing light on the dashboard warned us that the engine was overheating.
A flashing light at the crossing told pedestrians it was safe to walk.
The flashing lights of the ambulance lit up the street.
Word forms
| plural | flashing lights |
|---|
Common combinations
- flashing warning light
- A flashing warning light appeared on the control panel.
- flashing red light
- The flashing red light meant the machine had stopped.
- flashing lights on a vehicle
- Emergency vehicles have flashing lights on their roofs.
Synonyms and how they differ
- blinking light
- Blinking light is similar but often suggests a slower, more regular on-off pattern; flashing light can be faster or more urgent.
- strobe light
- A strobe light flashes very rapidly and is usually very bright; flashing light is a more general term.
Opposites
Commonly confused: flashing light or flashlight?
flashing light vs flashlight
A flashlight is a small portable electric torch; a flashing light is any light that blinks on and off.
Practice
What does a flashing light usually indicate?
Choose one answer.
A flashing light is typically used to warn or signal, such as on emergency vehicles or warning panels. It is not simply a steady light or a broken one.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “flashing light”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.