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Meaning & use

forked lightning

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌfɔːkt ˈlaɪtnɪŋ/
US/ˌfɔrkt ˈlaɪtnɪŋ/

Meanings

  1. noununcountable

    Lightning that appears as a jagged line splitting into branches as it travels from cloud to ground.

    Grammar: Usually uncountable: forked lightning lit the sky, not a forked lightning.

    Patterns

    • a flash of forked lightning

    Forked lightning split the sky above the hills.

    We watched forked lightning strike the radio tower.

    A flash of forked lightning made the baby cry.

  2. noununcountablefigurative

    A branching zigzag pattern of light or a design that looks like this kind of lightning.

    Grammar: Used in description or comparison, often figuratively.

    Patterns

    • like forked lightning

    Cracks ran across the ice like forked lightning.

    The tattoo of forked lightning stretched down his arm.

    Pain shot down her leg like forked lightning.

Common combinations

flash of forked lightning
A flash of forked lightning lit up the valley.
bolt of forked lightning
A bolt of forked lightning hit the old oak.
streaks of forked lightning
Streaks of forked lightning crossed the night sky.
forked lightning and thunder
We heard thunder and saw forked lightning for hours.
forked lightning storm
They sheltered during a forked lightning storm.

Synonyms and how they differ

lightning bolt
Lightning bolt is the general term for a single strike, while forked lightning describes how its path splits.
chain lightning
Chain lightning is a rarer term for lightning that looks like a connected chain, not a clear fork.
streak lightning
Streak lightning is an older term for a single zigzag flash, similar to forked lightning.
thunderbolt
Thunderbolt is dramatic and literary, focusing on the strike and the thunder, not the shape.

Opposites

sheet lightning

Word family

fork noun
a point where something splits in two
fork verb
to divide into branches
forked adjective
divided into branches
lightning noun
a flash of electricity in the sky

Commonly confused: forked lightning or lightening?

forked lightning vs lightening

Lightening, with an e, means making something lighter, while lightning is the electrical flash in a storm.

Practice

The sky was dark, and then a jagged flash of ___ split into three branches above the lake.

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