riant

[ rahy-uh nt, ree-; French ryahn ]

/ ˈraɪ ənt, ˈri-; French ryɑ̃ /

adjective

laughing; smiling; cheerful.

Nearby words

ria, riaa curve, rial, rial omani, rialto, riant, riata, riau archipelago, rib, rib cage, rib eye

Origin of riant

1560–70; < French, present participle of rire to laugh ≪ Latin rīdēre; see -ant

Related forms

ri·ant·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for riant

Her bare arms and neck were as soft and firm as a baby's; her riant, un-English face seemed all aglow of color and mellow eyes.
Theo|Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnett
Its spreading, riant beauty is hidden behind that little cliff.
The Book of Khalid|Ameen Rihani
Until they had rightly appraised the value of his friendship, women had been wont to regard him with a riant curiosity.
A Man for the Ages|Irving Bacheller
The scene was rich and riant, the evening lovely, and the wine good.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 58, Number 360, October 1845|Various

Everything is riant, stirring, singing, in the world that I behold from my balcony.
The Joy of Captain Ribot|Armando Palacio Valds

British Dictionary definitions for riant

riant

/ (ˈraɪənt) /

adjective

rare laughing; smiling; cheerful

Derived Forms

riantly, adverb

Word Origin for riant

C16: from French, from rire to laugh, from Latin rīdēre

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012