make light

USAGE SUMMARY

'make light' is not grammatically correct and is not commonly used in written English.
You could use the phrase 'make light of', which means to treat something as though it is not important or serious. For example: He tried to make light of his mistake, but his boss was not amused.

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The private tried to make light.

The New Yorker

Some make light of troubling events.

The Guardian

Mr Miliband sought to make light of the incident.

Independent

I know you like to make light of things.

The New York Times

Both were quick to make light of a grim situation.

The New York Times - Health

We never meant to make light of the situation".

The New York Times - Sports

I don't mean to make light of this.

The New Yorker

"You can make light with it," Mr. David said.

The New York Times

Mr. Ryan, of Wisconsin, tried to make light of it.

The New York Times

Both of them initially make light of the situation.

The New Yorker

And she obviously knows how to make light clothes.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When intending to convey that someone is treating a serious matter lightly, use the phrase "make light of" rather than just "make light" for grammatical correctness.

Common error

Avoid omitting "of" after "make light" when you intend to indicate treating something as unimportant. "Make light" can be grammatically incorrect unless used in a context related to producing illumination.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "make light" is often used as a verb phrase within a sentence. While frequently encountered, Ludwig AI identifies it as grammatically incorrect, unless it refers to creating illumination. The correct form to convey trivializing something is "make light of".

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

68%

Wiki

16%

Science

8%

Less common in

Formal & Business

2%

Encyclopedias

2%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "make light" is frequently used, it is generally considered grammatically incorrect when intended to mean 'to treat something as unimportant'. According to Ludwig AI, the correct form is "make light of". The phrase is commonly found in news and media contexts, but writers should be mindful of the grammatical implications, especially in formal settings. Using alternatives such as "downplay" or "trivialize" can provide grammatically sound substitutes.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

make light of

Adding "of" corrects the grammar to mean treating something unseriously.

downplay

Reduce the perceived importance of something.

trivialize

Make something seem less important or significant than it is.

dismiss

Treat something as unworthy of serious consideration.

gloss over

Avoid dwelling on or discussing a difficult or problematic topic.

soft-pedal

Deliberately underemphasize something.

make a joke of

Treat something serious as a joke.

underestimate

Judge something to be less than it actually is.

minimize

Reduce something to the smallest possible amount or degree.

disregard

Pay no attention to; ignore.

FAQs

What does "make light of" mean?

The phrase "make light of" means to treat something serious as though it is not important or significant.

How to use "make light of" in a sentence?

You can use "make light of" in a sentence like: "He tried to make light of the situation, but she was still upset."

What are some alternatives to "make light of"?

Some alternatives to "make light of" include "downplay", "trivialize", or "dismiss", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Which is correct, "make light" or "make light of"?

While "make light" appears frequently, especially in journalistic content, the grammatically correct and widely accepted form for meaning 'to treat something as unimportant' is "make light of".