illumine

verb

i-ˈlü-mən How to pronounce illumine (audio)
Definition of illuminenext
1
as in to illuminate
to supply with light small table lamps illumine the inn's dining room in a most romantic way

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to educate
to provide (someone) with moral or spiritual understanding readers of great literature are both entertained and illumined

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of illumine 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, 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 The bar was illumined by candles and an uplit line of mostly esoteric liquors along the full-length mirror against the back wall. — Lauren Groff, The Atlantic, 28 Sep. 2024 In a room illumined by the light of a few candles, a group of women with veils over their faces conducts a séance. — Rhoda Feng, ARTnews.com, 9 Aug. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illumine
  1. illuminate
  2. educate
  3. light
  4. inspire
  5. brighten
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
  • During the tasting experience, experts will educate attendees on the process and history behind each whiskey.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026
  • As one of the world’s leading manta ray research organizations, The Manta Trust is dedicated to educating and conserving habitats for these majestic creatures.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of educate
Verb
  • During the first hour, pine grove owners urged fire commanders to light a backfire a few hundred yards from Le Porge.
    — Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Down the hall, his girlfriend examines her birth chart, lights the palo santo and wonders whether Mercury is going to wreck her Tuesday.
    — Ryan Zickgraf, Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of light
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
  • Phase 2 begins when the fragment reaches denser air, and the meteor begins to brighten.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Apply this in the morning to brighten your skin and protect it from environmental stressors.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of brighten

Browse Nearby Words

illuminative
illumine
illumined
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Illumine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illumine. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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