Definition

Verb (phrasal verb): - To find or discover something by chance or unexpectedly.

Usage

This phrasal verb is used to describe the act of unexpectedly encountering or discovering something, often while not specifically looking for it. It is typically used in more formal or literary contexts.

Examples

• While researching in the archives, I light upon a collection of unpublished letters.
• She lit upon the perfect gift for him in a small, forgotten shop.
• The detective lighted upon a crucial piece of evidence that had been overlooked.

Advanced Usage

• The past tense and past participle can be either lit upon or lighted upon. Both forms are correct, though lit upon is more common in modern usage.
• It often implies a sense of serendipity or fortunate accident in the discovery.

Variants and Related Words

• Stumble upon: To find or encounter something by chance (more common in everyday speech).
• Chance upon: To come across something unexpectedly.
• Come across: To find or meet something or someone unexpectedly.

Synonyms

• Discover
• Encounter
• Find
• Happen upon

Phrasal Verbs

• Light on: A less common variant with the same meaning as "light upon."
  • He lit on a solution to the problem while taking a walk.

Related Idioms

• Strike gold: To find something very valuable or successful, often by chance. This idiom shares the connotation of a fortunate, unexpected discovery with "light upon."
  • The writer struck gold with her first novel.

Verb

1. find unexpectedly
   • the archeologists chanced upon an old tomb
   • she struck a goldmine
   • The hikers finally struck the main path to the lake