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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective luminous differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of luminous are bright, brilliant, lustrous, and radiant. While all these words mean "shining or glowing with light," luminous implies emission of steady, suffused, glowing light by reflection or in surrounding darkness.

When is it sensible to use bright instead of luminous?

In some situations, the words bright and luminous are roughly equivalent. However, bright implies emitting or reflecting a high degree of light.

When is brilliant a more appropriate choice than luminous?

Although the words brilliant and luminous have much in common, brilliant implies intense often sparkling brightness.

When can lustrous be used instead of luminous?

While the synonyms lustrous and luminous are close in meaning, lustrous stresses an even, rich light from a surface that reflects brightly without glittering.

In what contexts can radiant take the place of luminous?

The words radiant and luminous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, radiant stresses the emission or seeming emission of rays of light.

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 luminous The luminous call has Henry Cavill leading a cast that already includes Russell Crowe, Marisa Abela, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan and Djimon Hounsou. Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025 What emerges isn’t nostalgia but a luminous confrontation with the past. Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025 Her voice as an artist, dancer, friend, and dearly beloved of Prince is luminous and raw. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2025 Four of the most luminous stars from the beloved teen sports comedy's ensemble cast reunited Monday night for a screening to honor its 25th anniversary. Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for luminous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for luminous
Adjective
  • The patty cooked to a perfect medium, slightly larger than his ideal five ounces, and sans the tomatoes, gets a fairly glowing review (which can’t be said of every spot).
    Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 5 Oct. 2025
  • To see the longest glowing debris trains, set your gaze 40 degrees above the radiant after allowing your eyes to adjust to the dark for 30 minutes.
    Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • At EZCorp, which operates hundreds of EZPawn shops across the United States, the pawn loans outstanding and overall revenue hit record highs during the second quarter.
    Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
  • According to the Education Data Initiative, the average millennial had an outstanding student loan balance of $40,438 in 2023.
    Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • When Swift won the 2015 Grammy for album of the year, cameras captured Gomez tearing up in the audience, her pride unmistakable.
    Bryan West, USA Today, 6 Oct. 2025
  • The reference point was unmistakable.
    Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The best shining example of something that was influenced by us is the British version of The Office.
    Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Attendees rode in support of and alongside community member Eva Zamora, who is a shining example of how to live your best life with Parkinson’s disease and takes cycle classes at EōS regularly, a news release stated.
    News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Paes also highlighted that the 27th edition of Rio Fest will host 120 distinguished guests, among them French cinema superstar Juliette Binoche who, in addition to presenting her first film as a director, will also celebrate 200 years of diplomatic relations between Brazil and France.
    Marcelo Cajueiro, Variety, 2 Oct. 2025
  • The model, developed in collaboration with battery startup Sphere Energy, can predict a battery’s long-term behavior in as few as 50 power cycles modeled on the digital twin, says Teodoro Laino, distinguished research staff member at IBM Research.
    Andrew Moseman, IEEE Spectrum, 1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The Seahawks put the Bucs in obvious situations, then offered little resistance.
    Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • One obvious strategy to try to tackle the staffing problems is to close more prisons, and this year’s state budget authorized Governor Hochul to close up to three more.
    Jennifer Gonnerman, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Afterwards, walk through the dazzling Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, pausing to admire the glass dome and beautiful mosaic floors (but beware of pickpockets).
    Laura Itzkowitz, AFAR Media, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Every ounce of it was on display when Mitchell initially made that dazzling catch against the Rams.
    James Boyd, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Since modern romance developed in the 1970s, these novels have been thoroughly ignored by highbrow critics and prestigious-award juries.
    Rebecca Ackermann, The Atlantic, 5 Oct. 2025
  • Although it is censored in China, the film has won Best Director for Lou at the Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan, the most prestigious stage for Sinophone cinema.
    Yangyang Cheng, NPR, 4 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Luminous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/luminous. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

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