highlighter

noun

high·​light·​er ˈhī-ˌlī-tər 

plural highlighters

1

: a cosmetic for making facial features (such as the cheekbones) appear lighter or brighter

To enhance her natural beauty, the former model's complexion is glowing with a light, iridescent highlighter on her cheeks and a clear, glittery gloss on her lips.

—Nicole Saunders

2

: a pen with a broad felt tip and brightly colored transparent ink for marking selected passages in a text

At least 100 publications, from newspapers to scientific journals, come into the building daily, and the editors' scissors and highlighters are never idle.

—Keith Henderson

Examples of highlighter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

One in every five dollars spent on highlighters at Sephora is spent on minis. —Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 9 May 2025

One unique feature of OneNote's web clipper is a highlighter. —PC Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025

Aside from cosmetic shortcuts like highlighters, the fastest way to get a glowing complexion is to exfoliate, whether that’s by using a scrub, peel, or pad. —Emily Orofino, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2025

Then, at Daily Front Row’s 3rd Annual Fashion Los Angeles Awards in 2017, the Chilombo singer was the star of the show with her braids pulled back, long eyelashes, and a nude highlighter. —Essence, 17 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1963, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for highlighter

• exciter
• firefighter
• igniter
• lamplighter
• reciter
• screenwriter
• scriptwriter
• songwriter
• sportswriter
• typewriter
• biter
• brighter

Kids Definition

highlighter

noun

high·​light·​er

: a pen with a broad felt tip and brightly colored transparent ink for marking selected passages in a text