Meaning & use
taillights
Last updated
“taillights” is a form of “taillight”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nounplural
The red lights at the back of a vehicle that show its position and warn other drivers.
Grammar: Almost always plural because a vehicle has two; the singular taillight refers to just one of them.
Patterns
- the taillights of a car
- turn on the taillights
- the taillights are on
She checked that both taillights were working before the long drive.
The car's taillights glowed red in the fog.
A police officer stopped him because one of his taillights was broken.
Word forms
| singular | taillight |
|---|
Common combinations
- broken taillight
- He was fined for driving with a broken taillight.
- bright taillights
- The bright taillights of the truck ahead helped her judge the distance.
- taillights come on
- The taillights come on automatically when you start the engine.
- check the taillights
- You should check the taillights and headlights before a night trip.
Synonyms and how they differ
- rear lights
- A common British term for the same lights; taillights is the usual American word.
- brake lights
- These are also at the back, but they light up only when you press the brake pedal, not all the time.
Opposites
Word family
- taillight noun
- One single red light at the back of a vehicle.
Commonly confused: taillights or headlights?
taillights vs headlights
Headlights are at the front and light the road ahead; taillights are at the back and show where you are.
Practice
Which lights at the back of a car are on whenever the car is running?
Choose one answer.
Taillights are the red lights at the back that stay on to show the car's position. Headlights are at the front, and turn signals or hazard lights only flash.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “taillights”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.