radiant

American  

[rey-dee-uhnt] / ˈreɪ di ənt /

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.

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noun

radiants plural

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 British  

/ 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

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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 Scientific  

/ rā′dē-ənt /

1. Transmitting light, heat, or other radiation. Stars, for example, are radiant bodies.

2. Consisting of or transmitted as radiation.

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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.

Synonym Usage

See bright.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antiradiant
  adjective
• nonradiant
  adjective
• superradiant
  adjective
• unradiant
  adjective
• nonradiantly
  adverb
• radiantly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• radiants
  plural

Etymology

Origin of radiant

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”; see radius

Explanation

The adjective radiant is useful for describing anything that glows with warmth or light. When you open your eyes on a sunny summer morning and see your curtains glowing with sunlight, you can call them radiant. Something that shines or glows is radiant, and you can also describe anything that's bright as radiant, like a smile or a powerful emotion ("a radiant sense of happiness"). In science, radiant means "transmitted by radiation," and it usually describes heat, like the radiant heat from an oven. The Latin root is radiantem, "shining," and sometime around 1500 it started being used to describe physical beauty, which Shakespeare did in "Twelfth Night": "Most radiant, exquisite, and unmatchable beauty..."

Example Sentences

Ceuzany's voice ranges from crystalline highs to deep lows, as she performs everything from jazz to slam, commanding the stage with wavy blonde hair and earrings framing her radiant face.

From Barron's • Jul. 2, 2026

This includes people employed in construction and agriculture as well as those who work in indoor environments with radiant heat and no air conditioning, such as pizza kitchens.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 30, 2026

It measures not just the air temperature but takes into account humidity, radiant heat from the sun and the court surface temperature.

From BBC • Jun. 28, 2026

As recreated by the pop superstar’s nephew Jaafar Jackson in a radiant screen debut, Michael Jackson’s singing and dancing are as dynamic, even awe-inspiring, as they ever were.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

He tapped the side of her case, and with a radiant flourish the fairy was gone.

From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull

Related Words

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