Candle — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈkan-dᵊl/ can·dle

Meaning & Definition of Candle

Candle (noun)

  1. a usually molded or dipped mass of wax or tallow containing a wick that may be burned (as to give light, heat, or scent or for celebration or votive purposes)
  2. something resembling a candle in shape or use
  3. required effort, expense, or trouble —usually used in the phrase not worth the candle

Candle (verb)

  1. to examine by holding between the eye and a light; especially, to test (eggs) in this way for staleness, blood clots, fertility, and growth

Candle (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in lighting, lantern

    similar: arc lamp, candelabra, candelabrum, chandelier, dark lantern, flare, flash, flashbulb, flashcube, flashlight, floodlight, fluorescent lamp, gaslight, gasolier, girandole, headlight, incandescent lamp, klieg light, lantern, light bulb, lighthouse, lighting, sconce, spotlight, streetlight, sun lamp, beacon, illuminant, lamp

Related Entry: Hold a candle to (phrase)

Hold a candle to is a different word from Candle. The synonyms below are for hold a candle to, not for candle.

  1. to come near or nearer to in character or quality

    "This "guilt free" macaroni and cheese doesn't hold a candle to the real thing."

    similar: approach, approximate, compare (with), measure up (to), stack up (against or with)
    related: add up (to), amount (to), come (to), duplicate, equal, match, mirror, parallel, reflect, border (on), touch (on), verge (on)

Related Entry: Not worth the candle (phrase)

Not worth the candle is a different word from Candle. The synonyms below are for not worth the candle, not for candle.

  1. producing no results

    "Trying to salvage the car after it was totaled is not worth the candle."

    similar: abortive, barren, bootless, empty, fruitless, futile, ineffective, ineffectual, inefficacious, otiose, profitless, unavailing, unproductive, unprofitable, unsuccessful, useless, vain, in vain, no dice, of no avail
    related: hollow, idle, meaningless, pointless, valueless, worthless, hopeless, impossible, lost, no-win, unattainable, inadequate, insufficient, lacking, wanting, counterproductive
    opposite: deadly, effective, effectual, efficacious, efficient, fruitful, potent, productive, profitable, successful, virtuous
    near: meaningful, worthwhile, adequate, sufficient, applicable, feasible, functional, practicable, practical, realizable, usable, workable

Related Entry: Held a candle to (phrase)

Held a candle to is a different word from Candle. The synonyms below are for held a candle to, not for candle.

  1. to come near or nearer to in character or quality

    "This "guilt free" macaroni and cheese doesn't hold a candle to the real thing."

    similar: approached, approximated, compared (with), measured up (to), stacked up (against or with)
    related: added up (to), amounted (to), came (to), duplicated, equaled, matched, mirrored, paralleled, reflected, bordered (on), touched (on), verged (on)

Related Entry: Holds a candle to (phrase)

Holds a candle to is a different word from Candle. The synonyms below are for holds a candle to, not for candle.

  1. to come near or nearer to in character or quality

    "This "guilt free" macaroni and cheese doesn't hold a candle to the real thing."

    similar: approaches, approximates, compares (with), measures up (to), stacks up (against or with)
    related: adds up (to), amounts (to), comes (to), duplicates, equals, matches, mirrors, parallels, reflects, borders (on), touches (on), verges (on)

Related Entry: Holding a candle to (phrase)

Holding a candle to is a different word from Candle. The synonyms below are for holding a candle to, not for candle.

  1. to come near or nearer to in character or quality

    "This "guilt free" macaroni and cheese doesn't hold a candle to the real thing."

    similar: approaching, approximating, comparing (with), measuring up (to), stacking up (against or with)
    related: adding up (to), amounting (to), coming (to), duplicating, equaling, matching, mirroring, paralleling, reflecting, bordering (on), touching (on), verging (on)

Related Entry: Burn (verb)

Burn is a different word from Candle. The synonyms below are for burn, not for candle.

  1. to be on fire especially brightly

    "all evening long we just sat there, contentedly watching the Yule log burn"

    similar: blaze, combust, flame, glow, go up in flames
    related: catch, enkindle, deflagrate, fire, ignite, kindle, flare (up), light (up), flicker, gutter, waver, bake, broil, char, cook, melt, roast, scorch, swelter, smolder, spark, sputter, beam, brighten, radiate, beat (down), flash, glare, gleam, glimmer, glint, glisten, glitter, scintillate, shimmer, shine, sparkle, twinkle

  2. to set (something) on fire

    "it is not a good idea to try to burn old papers in the sink"

    similar: enkindle, fire, ignite, inflame, kindle, light, torch
    related: immolate, deflagrate, char, frizzle, scorch, bake, broil, cook, ash, cremate, incinerate, kiln, set off, brighten, illuminate, illumine, irradiate, lighten, radiate, scald, scathe, sear, reignite, rekindle, relight, bank, stoke
    opposite: douse, extinguish, put out, quench, snuff (out)
    near: choke, smother, suffocate, stamp (out), blacken, darken, dim, dull, obscure

  3. to be excited or emotionally stirred up with anger

    "he came home burning with anger because of a reprimand at work"

    similar: boil, foam, fume, rage, rankle, seethe, sizzle, steam, storm, see red
    related: fulminate, rant, rave, smolder, bristle, flare (up), inflame, chafe, fret, stew, agitate, convulse, roil, shake

  4. to shine with a bright harsh light

    "the bright streetlight outside our motel room burned all night long"

    similar: beat, blaze, flame, flare, glare
    related: beam, glow, radiate, flash, glance, gleam, glimmer, glint, glisten, glister, glitter, scintillate, shimmer, sparkle, twinkle, bedazzle, blind, daze, dazzle

  5. to cause to believe what is untrue

    "he's been burned before, so he's careful to double-check such claims now"

    similar: bamboozle, beguile, bluff, buffalo, catch, con, cozen, deceive, delude, dupe, fake out, fool, gaff, gammon, gull, have, have on (chiefly British), hoax, hoodwink, hornswoggle, humbug, juggle, misguide, misinform, mislead, snooker, snow, spoof, string along, suck in, sucker, take in, trick, do a number on, lead one down the garden path, pull one's leg, pull the wool over one's eyes
    related: kid, put on, tease, bleed, cheat, chisel, defraud, diddle, euchre, fleece, flimflam, hustle, mulct, rook, shortchange, skin, squeeze, stick, sting, swindle
    opposite: undeceive
    near: debunk, expose, reveal, show up, uncloak, uncover, unmask, disclose, divulge, tell, unveil, disabuse, disenchant, disillusion

  6. to make complete use of

    "heedlessly burning the country's resources without any concern for future generations"

    similar: absorb, consume, deplete, devour, drain, draw down, exhaust, expend, play out, spend, use up, run out of
    related: abate, decrease, de-escalate, diminish, downsize, dwindle, lessen, lower, reduce, eat, use, bankrupt, clean (out), impoverish, cripple, debilitate, disable, enfeeble, sap, undermine, weaken, dry up, empty, blow, dissipate, fritter (away), guzzle, lavish, misspend, run through, squander, throw away, waste
    opposite: renew, replace
    near: augment, enlarge, increase, bolster, enforce, fortify, reinforce, strengthen, rebuild, repair, restore, revive, conserve, preserve, save

Related Entry: Burn (up) (verb)

Burn (up) is a different word from Candle. The synonyms below are for burn (up), not for candle.

  1. to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts

    "seeing people violate smoking bans really burns me up"

    similar: aggravate, annoy, bother, bug, chafe, eat, exasperate, frost, gall, get, grate, gripe, hack (off), irk, irritate, itch, nark (British), nettle, peeve, persecute, pique, put out, rasp, rile, ruffle, spite, vex, get one's goat, get on one's nerves, get to, rub the wrong way, set one's teeth on edge, stick in one's craw, wear on
    related: hassle, heckle, nag, inflame, provoke, rouse, badger, bait, bullyrag, devil, hagride, harass, harry, pester, plague, tease, anger, antagonize, enrage, incense, infuriate, madden, rankle, roil, agitate, discomfort, discompose, disquiet, distress, exercise, freak (out), fret, perturb, undo, unhinge, unsettle, upset, worry, affront, insult, miff, offend, outrage
    near: appease, conciliate, mollify, oblige, pacify, placate, propitiate, delight, gladden, gratify, please, satisfy, assure, cheer, comfort, console, content, quiet, reassure, solace, soothe

Related Entry: Burnable (adjective)

Burnable is a different word from Candle. The synonyms below are for burnable, not for candle.

  1. capable of catching or being set on fire

    "don't put something so burnable as a towel next to the stove"

    similar: combustible, combustive, fiery, flammable, ignitable, inflammable, touchy
    related: explosive, incendiary
    opposite: fireproof, incombustible, nonburnable, noncombustible, nonflammable, noninflammable, unburnable
    near: nonexplosive

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Candle

The most common words with a similar meaning to Candle:

arc lamp, candelabra, candelabrum, chandelier, dark lantern, flare, flash, flashbulb, flashcube, flashlight, floodlight, fluorescent lamp, gaslight, gasolier, girandole, headlight, incandescent lamp, klieg light, lantern, light bulb, lighthouse, lighting, sconce, spotlight, streetlight, sun lamp, beacon, illuminant, lamp

Word Forms of Candle

Inflections: candles, candled, candling

Derived words: candler (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Candle

Middle English candel, going back to Old English, borrowed from Latin candēla "tallow candle," from candēre "to shine, be white, gleam" + -la, noun suffix candid:1

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Candle

Words & Phrases Containing Candle

burn the candle at both ends, foot-candle, hold a candle to, Roman candle, rush candle, standard candle, votive candle

Frequently Asked Questions about Candle

What does "Candle" mean?

"Candle" means a usually molded or dipped mass of wax or tallow containing a wick that may be burned (as to give light, heat, or scent or for celebration or votive purposes). As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a usually molded or dipped mass of wax or tallow containing a wick that may be burned (as to give light, heat, or scent or for celebration or votive purposes).

What is another word for "Candle"?

Other words for "Candle" include arc lamp, candelabra, candelabrum, chandelier, dark lantern, flare, flash and flashbulb. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Candle" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Candle"?

There are 29 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Candle". Common alternatives include arc lamp, candelabra, candelabrum, chandelier, dark lantern, flare, flash, flashbulb, flashcube and flashlight.

Is "Candle" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Candle" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Candle" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Candle" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Candle"?

"Candle" is pronounced /ˈkan-dᵊl/ and divided into syllables as can·dle.

What is the origin of the word "Candle"?

"Candle" comes from Middle English candel, going back to Old English, borrowed from Latin candēla "tallow candle," from candēre "to shine, be white, gleam" + -la, noun suffix candid:1. First known use: before 12th century.

What is another word for "Candle" meaning "as in lighting, lantern"?

When "Candle" (noun) means as in lighting, lantern, synonyms include arc lamp, candelabra, candelabrum, chandelier, dark lantern and flare.