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

Joachim Trier’s career has also gone from strength to strength, as evidenced by his following the radiant romantic drama The Worst Person in the World with an anatomy of a family as tough, tender and playful as this year’s Sentimental Value. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 20 Nov. 2025

Despite the crux of this trend, the key to creating a radiant, balanced look is avoiding a color that matches your skin tone to a T, says James Claytor, a stylist, colorist, and Madison Reed national educator. —Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 14 Nov. 2025

Noun

The best time to watch is after midnight through pre-dawn hours, when the radiant (the point in the sky from which the meteors appear to originate) of the Leo constellation rises higher in the sky. —Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 15 Nov. 2025

The Leonids should be visible across the night sky and will appear with a longer tail to spectators who view them away from their radiant. —Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 13 Nov. 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