luminous

adjective

lu·​mi·​nous ˈlü-mə-nəs 

1

a

: emitting or reflecting usually steady, suffused, or glowing light

luminous objects—the nebula, the stars, the planets

—Lincoln La Paz

b

: of or relating to light or to luminous flux

2

: bathed in or exposed to steady light

luminous with sunlight

3

: clear, enlightening

a luminous explanation

4

: shining, illustrious

a luminous film star

a luminous performance

luminously adverb

luminousness noun

Did you know?

Luminous, like its synonyms radiant, shining, glowing, and lustrous, is generally a positive adjective, especially when it describes something that doesn't literally glow, such as a face, a performance, or a poem. Luminous signs depend on a gas such as neon, krypton, argon, xenon, or radon—and you can use luminous (DayGlo) paint to make your own signs. New technologies have now given us luminous fabrics, which are being used to produce striking or creepy effects in clothing, upholstery, and interior surfaces.

Synonyms

• glowing
• shining
• dazzling
• bright
• radiant
• shiny
• brilliant
• shimmering
• gleaming
• sparkling
• lustrous

Choose the Right Synonym for luminous

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 luminous in a Sentence

I saw the cat's luminous eyes in my car's headlights.

a watch with a luminous dial

The room was luminous with sunlight.

Recent Examples on the Web

For the resolutely matte-averse, there is still hope: The line also features satin-finish shades in luminous hues of pink, brown, and red. —Jenny Berg, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2025

The woody-spicy citrus scent for men uses luminous top notes of fresh ginger, bergamot and citrus (lemon petitgrain) to create a powerful sensation of freshness that quickly cedes to deeper, spicy, mineral heart notes, notably that of Timut pepper. —Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025

Its luminous qualities mirror this Air sign's love for beauty and balance, while its spiritual symbolism is linked to transformation and emotional healing. —Valerie Mesa, People.com, 14 Aug. 2025

The more luminous ones have more extreme and asymmetric mass loss, while the less luminous ones have slower and more spherical mass loss. —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 13 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English luminouse, luminose, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French luminous, borrowed from Latin lūminōsus "full of light, dazzling," from lūmin-, lūmen "light, source of light" + -ōsus -ous — more at lumen

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing luminous

• luminous energy
• luminous flux
• luminous paint
• self-luminous

Rhymes for luminous

• numinous
• albuminous
• aluminous
• bituminous
• leguminous
• voluminous
• subbituminous

Kids Definition

luminous

adjective

lu·​mi·​nous ˈlü-mə-nəs 

1

: giving off light : shining

2

: being lighted

a public square luminous with sunlight

3

: clear entry 1 sense 3

luminous writing

4

: illustrious

luminously adverb

luminousness noun

Medical Definition

luminous

adjective

lu·​mi·​nous ˈlü-mə-nəs 

1

: emitting or reflecting usually steady, suffused, or glowing light

2

: of or relating to light or to luminous flux