fulgent

adjective

ful·​gent ˈfu̇l-jənt How to pronounce fulgent (audio) ˈfəl- How to pronounce fulgent (audio)
: dazzlingly bright : radiant
fulgently adverb

Did you know?

"The weary Sun betook himself to rest; — / Then issued Vesper from the fulgent west." That's how the appearance of the evening star in the glowing western sky at sunset looked to 19th-century poet William Wordsworth. Fulgent was a particularly apt choice to describe the radiant light of the sky at sunset. The word derives from the Latin verb fulgēre, meaning "to shine," a root which is itself akin to the Latin flagrare, meaning "to burn." English speakers have been using fulgent to depict resplendence since at least the 15th century.

Examples of fulgent in a Sentence

a fulgent sun peeked from behind the clouds

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Latin fulgent-, fulgens, present participle of fulgēre "to shine brightly, flash, lighten" — more at phlegm

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fulgent was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near fulgent

Cite this Entry

“Fulgent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fulgent. Accessed 4 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on fulgent

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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