Headlight
noun
Definition
A large, powerful light at the front of a vehicle
Context Alive
The country road was pitch black with no street lamps anywhere. The driver switched on his headlights and the road ahead suddenly appeared, revealing a sharp bend that would have been invisible otherwise. He slowed down, grateful for the bright beams cutting through the darkness.
Meanings
1 meaning 1 A Powerful Light at the Front of a Vehicle (Noun) — VERY COMMON Common ▼
This meaning is about the large lights mounted on the front of cars, motorcycles, trucks, and trains that illuminate the road ahead. Imagine driving at night and realising you can barely see — you reach for the switch and turn on your headlights, and suddenly the road lights up in front of you. This is a headlight — the front light of a vehicle. You might flash your headlights to warn other drivers of danger, or someone could get a fine for driving with a broken headlight. Or picture a deer frozen in the middle of the road, staring straight into the headlights of an approaching car. The word refers to an essential safety feature of any vehicle. ✏️ Common idiom: “like a deer caught in the headlights” — meaning frozen with shock or fear, unable to react.
Vivid ExampleShe noticed her headlights were getting dim, so she took the car to the garage before her long night drive, knowing that good visibility could make the difference between a safe journey and a dangerous one.
Examples from the Street
“Turn your headlights on — it’s getting dark.”
Switch on your front car lights — visibility is dropping
“One of my headlights has blown — I need to replace the bulb.”
One of my front lights has stopped working — I need a new one
“He flashed his headlights to warn me about the speed camera.”
He blinked his front lights quickly to alert me about the police trap
Common Patterns
turn on/switch on the headlights → activate the front lights
turn off/switch off the headlights → deactivate the front lights
flash one’s headlights → quickly blink the lights on and off as a signal
headlights on full beam / high beam → brightest setting for dark roads
dip the/one’s headlights → switch to low beam (British)
dim the/one’s headlights → switch to low beam (American)
headlight has blown/gone → the bulb has stopped working
replace/change a headlight (bulb) → put in a new bulb
broken/smashed headlight → damaged front light
headlight bulb → the replaceable light inside
Collocations
2 collocationsheadlight glare
blinding brightness from car lights
caught in the headlights
frozen with shock or fear
Example Sentences
12 examples
1
It’s getting foggy — you should turn your headlights on
The mist is thickening — you ought to switch on your front car lights.
2
I got pulled over by the police because one of my headlights had blown
The officers stopped me because one of my front vehicle lights had stopped working.
3
Don’t forget to turn off your headlights or your battery will go flat
Remember to switch off your front lights, otherwise your car won’t start later.
4
The driver behind me kept flashing his headlights — I think he wanted me to speed up
The person in the car behind kept blinking their front lights — I reckon they wanted me to go faster.
5
Please dip your headlights — you’re blinding oncoming traffic
Please lower the beam on your front lights — you’re dazzling drivers coming the other way.
6
Modern cars have LED headlights that are much brighter than traditional bulbs
Newer vehicles come with front lights using advanced technology that produce far more illumination than older ones.
7
The accident smashed both headlights and dented the bonnet
The collision broke both front lights and damaged the hood.
8
I need to buy a new headlight bulb — do you know which type fits my car?
I have to get a replacement for my front light — do you know which kind works with my vehicle?
9
He drove with his headlights on full beam the entire way, annoying everyone
He kept his front lights on the brightest setting throughout the journey, irritating other drivers.
10
The deer was caught in the headlights and just froze in the middle of the road
The animal was trapped in the glare of the front lights and stood completely still on the tarmac.
Learner Examples
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When the teacher asked him a question, he looked like a deer caught in the headlights
When the instructor put him on the spot, he appeared frozen and panicked, like an animal stunned by bright lights.
★
Learning vocabulary is like driving at night — grammar provides the headlights that help you see where you’re going
Building your word bank is like travelling in darkness — sentence structure gives you the illumination to understand the path ahead.
Phrasal Verbs & Idioms
1 items Idioms & Expressionslike a deer in headlights — frozen with shock or fear
He froze like a deer in headlights when they called his name.
Synonyms & Antonyms
4 items
Synonymsheadlamp
the front light of a vehicle
beam
the light projected forward
front light
the light at the front of a car
Antonymstaillight
the light at the back of a car