light upon
C1 formal inseparable transitive
In simple words
To find or notice something you weren't really looking for.
Literal meaning: To land or settle gently upon something — extended figuratively to the mind or eye settling on something discovered.
Meanings
1 C1
idiomatic
formal
To find or discover something unexpectedly, without having specifically searched for it.
"While sorting through her grandfather's papers, she lit upon a collection of wartime letters."
Grammar: inseparable
2 C1
idiomatic
formal
For the eyes or attention to settle on something, noticing it among other things.
"His gaze lit upon the small portrait hanging in the corner of the room."
Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes
Literary and somewhat archaic. Interchangeable with 'light on' but slightly more elevated in tone. Favoured in written English over spoken. ESL learners are more likely to encounter this in reading than need to produce it.
Commonly used with
idea solution passage fact truth discovery
Forms
Base
light upon
I/you/we/they
3rd person
lights upon
he/she/it
Past simple
lighted upon
yesterday
Past participle
lighted upon
have + pp
-ing form
lighting upon
continuous
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Synonyms
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