illume

verb

i-ˈlüm How to pronounce illume (audio)
Definition of illumenext
1
as in to educate
to provide (someone) with moral or spiritual understanding a favorite line of an Eastern Church hymn reads, "through fast-closed doors Thou camest Thy Disciples to illume"

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to illumine
to supply with light during the vigil service the church's Gothic interior was illumed by the light of hundreds of tapers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for illume
  1. educate
  2. illumine
  3. inspire
  4. illuminate
  5. light
Verb
  • His campaign is trying to stamp out the stigma that surrounds an HIV diagnosis and educate people about the basics, such as how the virus can't be spread through touching or sharing food.
    — Betsy Joles, NPR, 2 Sep. 2026
  • My main goal is to educate and try and help clarify any confusion.
    — Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of educate
Verb
  • Fantastic, illumined by periodic excursions into surrealism, as when the crew of a mysterious UFO boards a transpacific Kahuna Airlines jet midflight.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Geraldine walked over to Felix and Jane’s for fish soup, through long autumn shadows in the park, haze rising like smoke from the grass, illumined by the low sun.
    — Tessa Hadley, New Yorker, 25 Jan. 2026
Definition of illumine
Verb
  • Chelsea, despite missing out on a late move for Lamine Camara, and Tottenham have improved considerably, but that is more a reflection of previous dysfunction — and a lighter schedule — than inspired recruitment.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The museum plaza’s sweeping bridge creates a canopy of welcoming shade (inspired by Expo Park’s own trees), which the city — particularly this part — desperately needs.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of inspire
Verb
  • Each morning at the crack of dawn, in one of the great Instagram moments of our time, 165 enormous balloons begin to swell in Cappadocia's half-light, their burners briefly illuminating the valley floor.
    — Scott Campbell, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
  • At night, few lights are turned on inside these beautiful slabs; of the twelve units in each building, only one or two are illuminated, meaning that most people with residences there live elsewhere in the city.
    — Jonathan Flint, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of illuminate
Verb
  • European space officials hope a jolt of competition will light a fire under the continent’s rocket industry.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 6 Sep. 2026
  • This world’s heavens are lit with cosmic rays, its cityscapes otherworldly — everything seems to service an unabashed romanticism.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of light
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.

Browse Nearby Words

ill-treats
illume
illumed
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Cite this Entry

“Illume.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illume. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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