incandescent

¹in·can·des·cent

adj \-s^ənt\

Definition of INCANDESCENT

1

a : white, glowing, or luminous with intense heat b : strikingly bright, radiant, or clear c : marked by brilliance especially of expression <incandescent wit> d : characterized by glowing zeal : ardent <incandescent affection>

2

a : of, relating to, or being light produced by incandescence b : producing light by incandescence

— in·can·des·cent·ly adverb

Examples of INCANDESCENT

1. <sitting in darkness, except for the incandescent coals of our campfire>
2. <a speaker incandescent with righteous anger over the treatment of the refugees>

Origin of INCANDESCENT

probably from French, from Latin incandescent-, incandescens, present participle of incandescere to become hot, from in- + candescere to become hot, from candēre to glow — more at candid

First Known Use: 1794

Related to INCANDESCENT

Synonyms: beaming, bedazzling, brilliant, candescent, clear, dazzling, effulgent, fulgent, glowing, bright, lambent, lucent, lucid, luminous, lustrous, radiant, refulgent, sheeny, shining, shiny, splendid

Antonyms: dim, dull, lackluster, unbright, unbrilliant

Related Words: ablaze, ardent, blazing, burning, combusting, fiery, flaming, red-hot; agleam, aglitter, blinding, coruscant, flaring, flashing, flickering, gemmy, glancing, glaring, gleaming, glimmering, glinting, glistening, glistering, glittering, scintillant, scintillating, shimmering, shimmery, sparkling, sunny, twinkling, winking; burnished, polished, shined; superbright, ultrabright

Near Antonyms: blackened, dark, darkened, darkish, darkling, darksome, dimmed, dusky, gloomy, lightless, murky, obscure, obscured, pitch-black, pitch-dark, somber (or sombre), sunless, tenebrous, unlit; cloudy, shadowlike, shadowy, shady; gray (also grey), leaden, pale, palish

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