radiant

1 of 2

adjective

ra·​di·​ant ˈrā-dē-ənt 

1

a

: radiating rays or reflecting beams of light

b

: vividly bright and shining : glowing

2

: marked by or expressive of love, confidence, or happiness

a radiant smile

3

a

: emitted or transmitted by radiation

b

: emitting or relating to radiant heat

radiantly adverb

radiant

2 of 2

noun

: something that radiates: such as

a

: a point in the heavens at which the visible paths of meteors appear to meet when traced backward

b

: the part of a gas or electric heater that becomes incandescent

Synonyms

Adjective

• bright
• glowing
• smiling
• sunny
• cheerful

Choose the Right Synonym for radiant

bright, brilliant, radiant, luminous, lustrous mean shining or glowing with light.

bright implies emitting or reflecting a high degree of light.

brilliant implies intense often sparkling brightness.

radiant stresses the emission or seeming emission of rays of light.

luminous implies emission of steady, suffused, glowing light by reflection or in surrounding darkness.

lustrous stresses an even, rich light from a surface that reflects brightly without glittering.

Examples of radiant in a Sentence

Adjective

She had a radiant inner glow.

She looked radiant at her wedding.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

This liquid exfoliating treatment is powered by extracts from 100,000 apple stem cells to visibly refine pores and smooth skin texture, achieving a radiant, just-polished look. —Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 12 Sep. 2025

Today, makeup trends are decidedly more radiant, with juicy lip stains leading the charge—offering the allure of a glossy finish, paired with the long-lasting wear of a tint. —Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 10 Sep. 2025

Noun

This all in spite of Johanne’s best efforts to present Johanna in the most radiant of lights, a fact Johanna deems as abusive more than flattering. —Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 11 Sep. 2025

Stargazers hoping to see meteors with the longest tails should allow 30 minutes for their eyes to adjust to the dark and stare into a patch of sky roughly 40 degrees away from the radiant. —Anthony Wood, Space.com, 8 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

circa 1741, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing radiant

• radiant energy
• radiant flux
• radiant heat

Rhymes for radiant

• gradient

Kids Definition

radiant

adjective

ra·​di·​ant

ˈrād-ē-ənt

1

a

: giving out or reflecting light

a radiant jewel

b

: vividly bright and gleaming

2

: glowing with love, confidence, or happiness

a radiant smile

3

: transmitted by radiation

radiant heat

radiantly adverb

Medical Definition

radiant

adjective

ra·​di·​ant ˈrād-ē-ənt 

1

: emitted or transmitted by radiation

2

: emitting or relating to radiant heat