incandescent
Americanadjective
-
(of light) produced by incandescence.
-
glowing or white with heat.
-
intensely bright; brilliant.
-
brilliant; masterly; extraordinarily lucid.
an incandescent masterpiece; incandescent wit.
-
aglow with ardor, purpose, etc..
the incandescent vitality of youth.
adjective
-
emitting light as a result of being heated to a high temperature; red-hot or white-hot
-
informal extremely angry; raging
Other Word Forms
- incandescently adverb
- nonincandescent adjective
- nonincandescently adverb
Etymology
Origin of incandescent
1785–95; < Latin incandēscent- (stem of incandēscēns ), present participle of incandēscere to glow. See in- 2, candescent
Explanation
When heated, coals become incandescent, which means that they glow red-hot. You could also describe a brilliant and moving novel as incandescent. Incandescent, like the word candle, has its origins in the Latin word candere meaning "to glow or shine." Combined with the suffix in meaning "within," its meaning can be easily pulled from the combination of its root words: "to glow or shine from within." Fire crackers are incandescent because they give off brilliant lights when heated, but look up at a blazing fireworks display, and you'll find it's quite moving, or incandescent with intensity and brilliance.
Vocabulary lists containing incandescent
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
This Week in Words: September 10 - 16, 2017
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Unit 4: Powerful Openings
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It is the incandescent poems of his tortured and unsettled youth that still dazzle.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026
Mark Joseph Stern: This was one of the most incandescent judicial opinions I think I have ever seen.
From Slate • Jan. 23, 2026
"The colourful incandescent lights are my favourite," she says.
From BBC • Dec. 20, 2025
If we love fiercely, our ancestors live among and speak to us through these incandescent filaments glowing from the warmth of memories.”
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 16, 2025
Father Gomez seemed transfigured; the certainty that ran through his veins seemed to make his very eyes incandescent.
From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
