radiant

[ rey-dee-uhnt ]

adjective

1. emitting rays of light; shining; bright:

   the radiant sun;

   radiant colors.

   Synonyms: resplendent, refulgent, beaming

   Antonyms: dim

2. bright with joy, hope, etc.:

   radiant smiles;

   a radiant future.

3. Physics. emitted or propagated by radiation.
4. Heraldry.
   1. noting a partition line having a series of flamelike indentations formed by ogees joined in zigzags; rayonny.
   2. (of a charge, as an ordinary) having an edge or edges so formed.

noun

1. a point or object from which rays proceed.
2. Astronomy. the point in the heavens from which a shower of meteors appears to radiate.
3. a refractory absorbing and radiating heat from the flames of a gas fireplace or the like.

radiant

/ ˈreɪdɪənt /

adjective

1. sending out rays of light; bright; shining
2. characterized by health, intense joy, happiness, etc

   a radiant countenance

3. emitted or propagated by or as radiation; radiated

   radiant heat

4. sending out heat by radiation

   a radiant heater

5. physics (of a physical quantity in photometry) evaluated by absolute energy measurements Compare luminous

   radiant flux

   radiant efficiency

noun

1. a point or object that emits radiation, esp the part of a heater that gives out heat
2. astronomy the point in space from which a meteor shower appears to emanate

radiant

/ rā′dē-ənt /

Adjective

1. Transmitting light, heat, or other radiation. Stars, for example, are radiant bodies.
2. Consisting of or transmitted as radiation.

Noun

1. The apparent celestial origin of a meteor shower. For example, a point in the constellation Gemini is the radiant of the Geminid meteor shower.

Derived Forms

• ˈradiantly, adverb

Other Words From

• radi·ant·ly adverb
• anti·radi·ant adjective
• non·radi·ant adjective
• non·radi·ant·ly adverb
• super·radi·ant adjective
• un·radi·ant adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of radiant¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin radiant-, stem of radiāns “shining,” present participle of radiāre “to radiate light, shine,” verb derivative of radius “beam, ray”; radius

Word History and Origins

Origin of radiant¹

C15: from Latin radiāre to shine, from radius ray of light, radius

Synonym Study

See bright.

Example Sentences

John Paul was youthful in his sixties with a radiant charisma.

From The Daily Beast

Bulbs strung among branches in the overhead wild hibiscus tree form a radiant canopy.

From The Daily Beast

He taught her how to die by slow example, and she was radiant with the privilege.

From The Daily Beast

McDonald is a radiant talent, with a warm voice and beaming smile that light up any venue in which she appears.

From The Daily Beast

And so again and again he pitted his own radiant confidence against some equal and opposite force.

From The Daily Beast

The clear and radiant sky was drowned in a quivering radiance of gold, that was like a thing alive and sensitively palpitating.

From Project Gutenberg

On the following afternoon he found her, for instance, radiant with that exuberant happiness he had learned now to distrust.

From Project Gutenberg

Fresh and radiant she looked once more, no sign of tears, no traces of her recent emotion anywhere.

From Project Gutenberg

But he only noted that she appeared well and radiant; he understood her no morethan he understood several other things.

From Project Gutenberg

But after all, a radiant peace settled upon her when she at last found herself alone.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• beaming
• brilliant
• gleaming
• glittering
• glowing
• incandescent
• lustrous
• resplendent
• shining
• sunny