radiate
Americanverb (used without object)
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to extend, spread, or move like rays or radii from a center.
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to emit rays, as of light or heat; irradiate.
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to issue or proceed in rays.
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(of persons) to project or glow with cheerfulness, joy, etc..
She simply radiates with good humor.
verb (used with object)
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to emit in rays; disseminate, as from a center.
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(of persons) to project (joy, goodwill, etc.).
adjective
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radiating from a center.
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having rays extending from a central point or part.
a coin showing a radiate head.
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radiating symmetrically.
verb
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Also: eradiate. to emit (heat, light, or some other form of radiation) or (of heat, light, etc) to be emitted as radiation
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(intr) (of lines, beams, etc) to spread out from a centre or be arranged in a radial pattern
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(tr) (of a person) to show (happiness, health, etc) to a great degree
adjective
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having rays; radiating
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(of a capitulum) consisting of ray florets
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(of animals or their parts) showing radial symmetry
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adorned or decorated with rays
a radiate head on a coin
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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radiabilitynoun
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radiablenessnoun
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reradiateverb
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antiradiatingadjective
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multiradiateadjective
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multiradiatedadjective
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nonradiatingadjective
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radiableadjective
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subradiateadjective
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unradiatedadjective
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radiablyadverb
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radiatelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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radiatesimple
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radiatessimple
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have radiatedperfect
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has radiatedperfect
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am radiatingprogressive
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are radiatingprogressive
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is radiatingprogressive
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have been radiatingperfect progressive
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has been radiatingperfect progressive
Past
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radiatedsimple
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had radiatedperfect
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was radiatingprogressive
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were radiatingprogressive
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had been radiatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of radiate
First recorded in 1610–20, radiate is from the Latin word radiātus (past participle of radiāre to radiate light, shine). See radiant, -ate 1
Explanation
When something radiates, it sends out waves or rays. The sun radiates light and warmth. If your house has a radiator, that might help you remember this word, because the radiator radiates warmth. Radiating is a concept that applies to anything that emits rays or waves. People camping make a fire so it can radiate light and heat. Our bodies radiate some heat, but not nearly as much as something as hot as a stove. If a nuclear reactor is damaged, it could radiate dangerous nuclear energy — or radiation.
Vocabulary lists containing radiate
Bud, Not Buddy
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Achievement First 6th Grade IA 1 Words
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"Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began" by Art Spiegelman
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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.
Cordido's eyes can't help but radiate with gratitude when he speaks about the volunteer rescuers who pulled him from the ruins of Venezuela's double earthquake, which killed more than 2,600 people.
From Barron's • Jul. 4, 2026
As I ambled past groups doing yoga and vacationing families lounging on the grass, pain started to radiate through my ankles and up my shinbones before settling uncomfortably in my hips.
From Slate • Jun. 5, 2026
In 1974, Stephen Hawking showed that black holes radiate heat and can eventually evaporate, apparently erasing all information about what fell into them — contradicting the quantum principle that evolution must preserve information.
From Science Daily • May 22, 2026
The meteors appear to radiate from the constellation of Gemini, but looking slightly away from that point often provides a wider field of view.
From BBC • Dec. 12, 2025
Despite the ordeals and deprivations, his face continued to radiate his innocence.
From "Night" by Elie Wiesel
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.
