Meaning & use
spotlight
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Meanings
nouncountable
A strong lamp that shines a narrow beam on one person or place, especially on a stage.
Grammar: Takes a plural: the spotlights came on.
Patterns
- in the spotlight
- a spotlight on someone
A single spotlight lit the singer.
The stagehand moved the spotlight to the left.
Bright spotlights hung above the stage.
nounsingularfigurative
Public attention directed at someone or something.
Grammar: Usually with the: in the spotlight.
Patterns
- in the spotlight
- steal the spotlight
- turn the spotlight on someone
The scandal put the mayor in the spotlight.
She did not enjoy the spotlight after her win.
Young artists finally got their time in the spotlight.
verbtransitive
To direct public attention to a person, subject or problem.
Grammar: Takes an object: spotlight a problem.
Patterns
- spotlight something
The documentary spotlights the lives of rural nurses.
The article spotlighted rising rents in the city.
The festival spotlights new filmmakers each year.
Word forms
| plural | spotlights |
|---|---|
| third person singular | spotlights |
| past tense | spotlighted |
| past participle | spotlighted |
| -ing form | spotlighting |
Common combinations
- in the spotlight
- The team stayed in the spotlight all season.
- steal the spotlight
- The young actor stole the spotlight.
- shine a spotlight on
- The report shines a spotlight on unsafe housing.
- turn the spotlight on
- The press turned the spotlight on the minister.
- hog the spotlight
- He always tries to hog the spotlight.
- media spotlight
- The couple avoided the media spotlight.
Synonyms and how they differ
- limelight
- Limelight means public attention, especially fame, and is a close figurative synonym.
- focus
- Focus is neutral and can mean any center of attention, not just public interest.
- publicity
- Publicity is news coverage that someone seeks, while spotlight is the attention itself.
- highlight
- To highlight is to draw attention to a feature, usually briefly.
Opposites
Word family
- spot noun
- a small mark or place
- spotlit adjective
- lit by a spotlight
- spotlighting noun
- the act of directing attention
- floodlight noun
- a wide, powerful lamp for lighting large areas
Commonly confused: spotlight or limelight?
spotlight vs limelight
Limelight usually means the fame itself, while spotlight can also be the lamp.
Practice
The new documentary aims to shine a ___ on the problem of plastic waste.
Choose one answer.
Shine a spotlight on is the set phrase for drawing attention to something. Searchlight and headlight are literal lamps, and daylight does not fit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “spotlight”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.