IRRADIATE Synonyms: 87 Similar and Opposite Words

irradiate

verb

i-ˈrā-dē-ˌāt

Definition of irradiate

as in to illumine

to supply with light the light from a galaxy of flashing signs irradiates the heart and soul of Las Vegas

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to radiate

to throw or give off irradiating an aura of supreme confidence on the playing field

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 irradiate The sterile flies are irradiated and released en masse, designed to blanket a region experiencing an outbreak. — Evan Bush, NBC news, 7 June 2026 Vector control districts serving Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties have irradiated males and released them in recent years. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026 His team added soil that had been irradiated almost five years earlier, and then closed the circuit. — Siddhant Pusdekar, Quanta Magazine, 1 June 2026 Trump’s obsession with gold has led his critics to compare him to the Bond villain Goldfinger, a bullion dealer who hatches a plan to irradiate the gold in Fort Knox in order to increase the value of his own supply. — Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 4 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for irradiate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for irradiate

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

The antenna’s radiating surface would face downward, with a protective cover following the wing’s external contours.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
And then there’s an energetic quality, at times radiating light and other times shining it—with or without pulsing strobes—on others.

— Laura Regensdorf, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of radiate

Verb

The curved bar, constructed from cast-glass beams covered in silver leaf, takes on an intergalactic glow when illuminated at night.

— Khushbu Shah, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Oct. 2026
On sunny days, a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows filters in lots of natural light, illuminating the sleek blond wood interiors.

— Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of illuminate

Verb

Many of these materials are made from oil, which emits pollutants when burned, driving climate change and fueling extreme weather.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
Conventional diamond quantum sensors measure fluorescent light that is emitted by these defects.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of emit

Verb

The president fielded questions from reporters for nearly 20 minutes after casting his own 2026 votes at the offices of the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Saturday afternoon.

— Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 24 Oct. 2026
Tarantino revealed the most personally meaningful piece of casting in a film filled with great performances — including supporting turns by multiple actors (Austin Butler, Mikey Madison, Sydney Sweeney) who have blown up in the seven years since.

— Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of cast

Verb

The pair barely crack more than a perfunctory smirk, in stark contrast to the uproarious laughter emanating from Fielder’s laptop screen.

— Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
Bright blue stars dot the spiral's side, with one particularly luminous star taking the spotlight with four diffraction spikes — created by light bending through the inner workings of Hubble's camera — emanating from its center.

— Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of emanate

Verb

The latest figures, released in April and based mostly on 2024 data, actually reflect a slowdown from earlier jumps.

— Martie Bowser, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
On October 24, 2006, Taylor Swift was released—the debut album by a 16-year-old with blonde curls, cowboy boots, and a special talent for turning heartbreak into hits.

— Ilaria Perrotta, Vanity Fair, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of release

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irony

irradiate

irradiated

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“Irradiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irradiate. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of irradiate

verb

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