glowing
Americanadjective
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rich and warm in coloring.
glowing colors.
-
showing the radiance of health, excitement, etc..
glowing cheeks.
-
warmly favorable or complimentary.
a glowing account of her work.
- Synonyms:
- unstinting, rapturous, enthusiastic, wholehearted, ardent
adjective
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emitting a steady bright light without flames
glowing embers
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warm and rich in colour
the room was decorated in glowing shades of gold and orange
-
flushed and rosy, as from exercise or excitement
glowing cheeks
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displaying or indicative of extreme satisfaction, pride, or emotion
he gave a glowing account of his son's achievements
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of glowing
before 1000; Middle English glowynge, Old English glowende. See glow, -ing 2
Explanation
If something is glowing, it's either lit up like a light or it's full of praise and enthusiasm. So, you could receive a glowing candle or a glowing report card. You choose. When a report or account is glowing, it's unreservedly positive, like a book critic's glowing review of a new mystery novel or your grandmother's glowing praise for the good job you did mowing her lawn. Glowing comes from glow, which can mean "a flush of radiant feeling," and which comes from the Old English glowan, "to glow or shine as if red-hot."
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.
How ironic that this is so often how she appears in the film: shrouded in darkness, barely visible, her eyes glowing through the shadows and begging for someone to see the real her.
From Salon • Jun. 4, 2026
Years of glowing performance reviews aren’t enough; you also want to show that you have always cared deeply about what you do, why you do it and your employer’s positive contribution to society.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026
You see the fist before anything else, glowing in the hot Florida sun.
From Slate • Jun. 2, 2026
Roman's infrared instruments will be able to observe these glowing planets and study how their brightness changes over time.
From Science Daily • Jun. 1, 2026
Oaks and maples lit up like Christmas trees, their burning leaves glowing like strands of orange bulbs.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
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.
