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 of radiant

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

Also, the festivalgoers just seemed so overjoyed and radiant to be back at this annual Memorial Day weekend event, which runs through May 24 at the Napa Valley Expo in downtown Napa. —Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 23 May 2026

A little different from the regular radiant thanks to its rich canary tone, this three-stone jewelry piece absolutely makes a statement. —Shelby Wax, Vogue, 22 May 2026

Noun

Her glam team—makeup artist Iván Gómez and hairstylist Hanna Kesik—added to Longoria's radiant look with voluminous waves all around her face and bold makeup. —Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 23 May 2026

But fragrance alone doesn’t explain the loyalty; the accompanying nongreasy richness that helps leave skin feeling remarkably smooth, soft, and radiant does. —Marci Robin, Allure, 20 May 2026

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