Overlit

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Illuminated with more light than is comfortable, pleasing, or necessary for the setting
2. Exposed to a glare so strong that it washes out detail and flattens the atmosphere of a scene
3. Brightened beyond what the subject needs, so that shadows vanish and the image loses its mood

Etymology: "Overlit" is the past tense and past participle of "overlight," a verb meaning to light something too brightly or to expose it to too much light. The verb is formed from "over-," a prefix meaning excessively or above, attached to "light." Its ancestor, Middle English "over-lyght," was built the same way from the same two parts, so the word is a transparent compound rather than a borrowing from another language. The sense is literal at heart: a photograph, stage, or room can be overlit when the light is so strong that detail washes out and the image loses shape. The prefix does the work here, since "over-" in compounds like "overcook" or "overheat" signals the same excess applied to a different process.

Synonyms: brightly lit, overexposed

Antonyms: underlit, dimly lit