highlight

UK: /ˈhaɪlaɪt/ US: /ˈhaɪˌlaɪt/ ,(hī′līt′)

Inflections of 'highlight' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

highlights

v 3rd person singular

highlighting

v pres p

highlighted

v past

highlighted

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

high•light /ˈhaɪˌlaɪt/   v. 

[~ + object]
1. to emphasize or make (something) stand out:
   The paper highlights the difficulties of the working poor.
2. to mark with a felt-tip pen that makes printed matter stand out:
   highlighted important passages of the textbook.
3. Clothing, Photography to create highlights in:
   The hairdresser highlighted her hair.

n. [countable]

4. Also, ˈhigh ˌlight. a memorable or enjoyable event, scene, etc.:
   When she was promoted, it was the highlight of her career.
5. an area of contrasting lightness or brightness:
   brown hair with blonde highlights.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

high•light  (hī′līt′), v., -light•ed, -light•ing, n. 
v.t. 

1. to emphasize or make prominent.
2. Clothing, Photography to create highlights in (a photograph or engraving).

n. 

3. Also, high′ light′. an important, conspicuous, memorable, or enjoyable event, scene, part, or the like:
   the highlight of his talk; the highlight of the concert series.
4. Photography the area of most intense light on a represented form, as in a painting or photograph.

• high + light¹ 1850–55, American.

hígh′light′er, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. stress, accent, underline, feature.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

highlight / ˈhaɪˌlaɪt/ noun

1. an area of the lightest tone in a painting, drawing, photograph, etc
2. the most exciting or memorable part of an event or period of time
3. (often plural) a bleached blond streak in the hair

verb (transitive)

1. to mark (any brightly illuminated or prominent part of a form or figure) with light tone
2. to bring notice or emphasis to
3. to produce blond streaks in (the hair) by bleaching