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light out

(intransitive, slang, dated) To go away or depart, especially in haste or without notice.

ˈlaɪt ˈaʊtCurrent181 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
🗺️ Regional & Other
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Seen in the wild
4 citations · last seen May 2026

Seen in the wild

Definitions

#1·Apr 27, 2026

(intransitive, slang, dated) To go away or depart, especially in haste or without notice.

Origin: Phrasal verb from. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents

"light out" means: To go away or depart, especially in haste or without notice.. This is informal slang, common in casual speech, texting and social media, but not appropriate for school work, applications or professional settings. There is no real cause for concern in itself; it is everyday peer vocabulary. If your child uses it, a light comment about audience and register is usually enough — no need to escalate. Context, more than the word, tells you whether to follow up.

For ESL learners

"light out" means: To go away or depart, especially in haste or without notice.. Register: informal slang, fine in casual conversation, texting and social media but not in academic essays, business writing or formal speech. Note the regional or dialect label (dated) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a

Cluster: leave
Heard in the wild
  • “Is it light out yet? Better find out, bet I'ma walk around the edge of the room and the bed Where I hide my face, pace around Better try to brеathe, pace around, pace around”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “5:30am and it’s already light out. Honestly think we could get away with moving clocks ahead an hour and getting an extra hour of light at night.”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “But I want to be out while it's still light out and I need to sort all my car stuff...”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “But they are meant to wake with alarm clocks in the light the other half? And what about people who go to bed when it's light out?”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
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For specific readers

"light out" means: To go away or depart, especially in haste or without notice.. This is informal slang, common in casual speech, texting and social media, but not appropriate for school work, applications or professional settings. There is no real cause for concern in itself; it is everyday peer vocabulary. If your child uses it, a light comment about audience and register is usually enough — no need to escalate. Context, more than the word, tells you whether to follow up.

Why is this section here?

Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.

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🗺️About Regional & Other slang

Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.

See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.

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