Meaning & use
ray of light
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A thin line of light that shines from a source such as the sun or a lamp, often seen through a gap.
Grammar: Countable: one ray of light, two rays of light; 'rays' takes the plural.
Patterns
- a ray of light through something
- a ray of light from something
A single ray of light slipped through the curtains and woke him.
Dust danced in the ray of light from the attic window.
The cave was dark except for one ray of light near the roof.
nouncountablefigurative
A small sign of hope or comfort in a bad or gloomy situation, or a person who brings it.
Grammar: Often used with 'a' and followed by 'in' something: a ray of light in a dark week.
Patterns
- a ray of light in something
- be a ray of light
The good news was a ray of light after months of worry.
Her cheerful visit was a ray of light on a miserable day.
The new job offer felt like a ray of light in a difficult year.
Word forms
| plural | rays of light |
|---|
Common combinations
- a ray of light through
- A ray of light through the fog showed us the path.
- a single ray of light
- A single ray of light lit the dusty floor.
- a ray of light in the darkness
- Their kindness was a ray of light in the darkness.
- a ray of hope
- The test result offered a ray of hope.
- catch a ray of light
- The crystal caught a ray of light and threw colors across the wall.
Synonyms and how they differ
- beam
- A beam is usually wider or stronger than a ray, as in the beam of a flashlight.
- shaft of light
- A shaft of light is a long, straight column of light, typically seen through a window or opening.
- glimmer
- A glimmer is a faint, unsteady light, and figuratively a weaker hint of hope than a ray of light.
- bright spot
- A bright spot is the more informal figurative match, used for a pleasant part of an otherwise bad situation.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: ray of light or ray of sunshine?
ray of light vs ray of sunshine
A ray of sunshine often describes a cheerful person, whereas a ray of light can be any light source or any small hopeful sign.
Practice
After weeks of bad news, the phone call was a ___ in her gloomy week.
Choose one answer.
A ray of light is the idiom for a small sign of hope. The other options either do not form idioms or contradict the positive meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ray of light”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.