radiance

noun

ˈrā-dē-ən(t)s How to pronounce radiance (audio)
Definition of radiancenext
1
as in brightness
the quality or state of having or giving off light the radiance of the midday sun created a harsh glare for the skiers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in glow
the steady giving off of the form of radiation that makes vision possible had a dream in which she was steadily moving down a dark tunnel toward a radiance at the far end

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of radiance The treatment is fast, easy to use at home, and nearly pain-free—plus, it’s designed to help smooth the look of fine lines and wrinkles while boosting the skin’s radiance. — Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 2 Oct. 2026 The multitasking device temporarily boosts radiance, improves firmness, and sculpts the look of facial contours—all in just a few minutes a day. — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 29 Sep. 2026 Since the harvest moon will reach peak illumination after the sun rises, its radiance will appear more diminished than during the nighttime. — Hali Smith, Idaho Statesman, 25 Sep. 2026 Its uniquely oil soluble form of vitamin C weightlessly absorbs to instantly boost radiance while remaining gentle on skin. — ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for radiance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for radiance
  1. brightness
  2. glow
  3. brilliancy
  4. glare
  5. brilliance
  6. light
  7. lightness
  8. gleam
Noun
  • And, it was coupled with a nice brightness that made percussion crisp and synths cutting.
    — Christian de Looper, PC Magazine, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Wear one in beige or white to add a bit of brightness to your look, or black for some edge.
    — Michel Mejía, Glamour, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of brightness
Noun
  • The good times, the less than good times, the confusing times are all here, burnished with a warm glow of friendship.
    — Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
  • On cloudless days, sunlight bathes the upper levels, giving the wood flourishes a warm glow.
    — Katharine Sohn, Architectural Digest, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of glow
Noun
  • Greatest brilliancy marks the sweet spot between the two, when Venus' apparent size and shrinking phase combine to give us the greatest apparent area of illuminated Venus in our sky.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The result is an incredible repository of vexations, bafflements, witticisms, and brilliancies.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Definition of brilliancy
Noun
  • The matte screen effectively fought off the glare from the open window in my row.
    — Allison Johnson, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026
  • And the display has a matte finish, which reduces glare and doesn’t smudge easily.
    — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of glare
Noun
  • No headliner has ever been an ex–drug dealer whose entire mythos is wrapped up in transmuting block-boy brilliance into boardroom brute force.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 28 Oct. 2026
  • What came next made Lekkerimäki’s moment of brilliance something more than a nuanced, impressive shot from a rapidly and surprisingly developing Canucks sniper.
    — Thomas Drance, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of brilliance
Noun
  • Like Blonde on Blonde, Drukqs was the prolonged exhalation that closed its maker’s years as a celebrity at the vanguard of a genre and inaugurated a long period of reflection and tinkering away from the light of public expectation.
    — Andy Cush, Pitchfork, 31 Oct. 2026
  • And try to get as much exposure to morning light as possible throughout the season.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of light
Noun
  • Texture takes center stage in the new drop, with plush shearling, shimmering metallics, and festive embellishments bringing a sense of lightness to the house’s signature designs.
    — Laura Jackson, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Wrapped in soft cashmere, the Cashmere Cabin is designed to mimic the feeling of stepping into an Ultralight with Cashmere piece and being enveloped in softness, lightness and ease.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of lightness
Noun
  • The music resolves and smoke rolls into the gallery before the screen opens up and the real Endeavour gleams in the distance, spotlighted like a mirage in the dark.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The singer-songwriter’s seventh album is their wackiest and funniest to date, with a madcap gleam coursing through its synth-pop portraits of lovable weirdos and suburban dread.
    — Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of gleam

Browse Nearby Words

raddled
radiance
radiances
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Radiance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/radiance. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of wraith

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All