candle

candle — noun

1. a stick-shaped object made of wax or another solid material that contains a cent

1.nounB1
Definition

a stick-shaped object made of wax or another solid material that contains a central thread; lighting that thread produces a small flame that slowly melts the wax and gives off a gentle yellow glow.

Example

Theo lit a candle on the dinner table before the guests arrived.

collocation: light a candle

A single candle in a glass jar gave just enough light for reading.

Common collocations
  • light a candle
  • blow out a candle
  • candle flame
  • candle wax
  • candle holder
  • candle light
  • scented candle
  • candle melts
  • candle burns
Synonyms
  • taper

    a long, thin candle used in formal or religious settings — less common in everyday speech

  • votive

    a small, short candle often placed in a holder for prayer or decoration — a subtype, not a general synonym

  • tea light

    a very short, wide candle inside a metal or plastic cup, used for heating or gentle light

Usage Note

The burning tip is called the flame; the melted wax that runs down the side is called wax drips. A candle that has never been lit is new; one that has been burning for some time has a burned-down wick.

Common Mistakes

I need to buy a candle light.
I need to buy a candle.
'candle light' is not a standard phrase; say just 'candle' for the object, or 'candlelight' (one word) for the soft light it gives off.
Idioms

burn the candle at both ends

idiom

to work or be active from very early in the morning until very late at night, leaving yourself almost no time to rest or sleep.

Leila has been burning the candle at both ends all semester — she studies until two in the morning and then goes to her part-time job at six.

Ravi was burning the candle at both ends before the wedding, and by the big day he had lost his voice.

cannot hold a candle to

idiom

to be much less good, impressive, or skilled than someone or something else.

The new singer cannot hold a candle to the original performer of that song.

This cheap camera cannot hold a candle to a professional one, but it is fine for everyday photos.

not worth the candle

idiom

not worth the cost, effort, or difficulty involved — used when the result is too small to justify what you have to do to get it.

Driving two hours to a shop that might be closed is simply not worth the candle.

He decided the extra pay for the night shift was not worth the candle — the lack of sleep affected his health.

cannot hold a candle to somebody/something

idiom

To be much less good or impressive than someone or something else.

Maya's cooking can't hold a candle to her grandmother's.

This new smartphone can't hold a candle to the previous model.

(the game is) not worth the candle

idiom

The effort or cost of doing something is greater than the benefit it brings.

After calculating the expenses, Brian decided the game was not worth the candle.

Is this extra work really worth the candle for such a small reward?

candle — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Candle is the general term for any wax-and-wick light source. A taper is a long, thin candle that narrows toward the top — often found in churches or formal candleholders — but the word sounds old-fashioned in casual conversation. Votive refers specifically to a small, squat candle (often inside a glass cup) used for prayer, meditation, or decoration; it is a subtype, not a replacement. Tea light denotes an even shorter, wider candle encased in a metal or plastic cup, commonly used to heat food in small burners or to create a gentle glow. Candlewick is not a synonym — it refers only to the string inside the candle, not the whole object. In everyday use, candle remains the safest and most frequent choice; the others describe particular shapes or uses.

candle ↗tapervotivetea lightcandlewick

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • softly burning
  • slowly melting
  • briefly flickering

Phrases

  • light a candle
  • blow out a candle
  • candle burns down
  • candle melts
  • the candle goes out

Prepositions

  • by candlelight
  • on a candleholder
  • in a candlestick

Etymology

LatinOld EnglishEnglish

Old English candel (from Latin candēla, meaning 'a light or torch'), which comes from the Latin verb candēre, 'to shine or glow'. The word arrived in English before the 10th century and has kept roughly the same form and meaning ever since. The Roman candle — a firework — was named in the 1700s for its tube shape, which reminded people of a candle.