Hi, I’d like to know whether the word “alight” is mostly used in formal or informal English.
The examples of the sentences
It is imprudent to alight from a bus while the bus is moving.
It is reckless to alight from a bus while the bus is moving.
It is stupid to alight from a bus while it is moving.
It’s daft to alight from a bus as it moves.
It’s silly to alight from a bus as it moves.
It’s off to get off a bus moving.
Would it sound better to use the word disembark instead of “alight” in some of these, a-formal-type sentences, especially after a long trip?
Which other word can I use instead of “alight” in the case of a town bus?
Anyway I’d like to have all these sentences corrected in a sense of having them strictly formal or as much informal as possible.
In addition, is it possible to say as below. I think it’s not.
Example 7 is actually a better way to say it, as it’s less wordy. I would tend to say “It’s dangerous to hop off a moving bus” but all your examples are fine. Using the same word with two different meanings, as in #6, may be a little confusing (I think it is here) or may get the reader to pay closer attention; it’s a judgement call. I like the word daft. It has the same attention-getting effect, and while not everybody knows the word, it’s fairly obvious from context. Silly, on the other hand, makes it seem less serious than it actually is.
Alight isn’t the most common word, but it’s pretty obvious to those who don’t use it. In general, one embarks or disembarks on a significant journey, such as a trip on the Orient Express or a cruise on the Queen Elizabeth. Someone trying to get off a bus while it is moving is probably riding a shuttle bus or a jitney.