refulgent

[ ri-fuhl-juhnt ]

adjective

1. shining brightly; radiant; gleaming:

   Crystal chandeliers and gilded walls made the opera house a refulgent setting for the ball.

2. very attractive or impressive; dazzling; brilliant:

   His refulgent smile brightened the day of everyone who saw it.

refulgent

/ rɪˈfʌldʒənt /

adjective

1. literary.
   shining, brilliant, or radiant

Derived Forms

• reˈfulgently, adverb
• reˈfulgence, noun

Other Words From

• re·ful·gence re·ful·gen·cy re·ful·gent·ness noun
• re·ful·gent·ly adverb
• un·re·ful·gent adjective
• un·re·ful·gent·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of refulgent¹

First recorded in 1500–10; from Latin refulgent-, stem of refulgēns, present participle of refulgēre “to radiate light”; re-, fulgent

Word History and Origins

Origin of refulgent¹

C16: from Latin refulgēre to shine brightly, from re- + fulgēre to shine

Example Sentences

TEJAN-THOMAS, who has refulgent brown skin and a resonant baritone, came to radio from poetry.

From New York Times

The refulgent link between humanity and divinity, Jesus glows in the center of Raphael’s gigantic canvas, his robes as white, as the Gospel of Mark puts it, “as no fuller on earth can white them.”

From The New Yorker

He entered a world of clamor, smoke, and steam, refulgent with the scents of murdered cattle and pigs.

From Literature

There are few directors around with as much command of material culture as Coppola, who imbues the setting’s silks, crinolines, glassware and candle wax with refulgent depth and texture.

From Washington Post

If you have the neon red, blue or yellow, on the other hand, they're arguably refulgent enough to shine like little beacons from whatever crevice they've tumbled into.

From Time