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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 Not just the owner of some of the best eyebrows of the moment, the ‘Levitating’ singer has the kind of clear, luminous skin that most of us can only dream of. Georgia Day, Vogue, 12 June 2025 Getting into the details, Ward used LYS products for the complexion and highlight, Mac and Maybelline for the standout red lip, and Patrick Ta’s Major Glow Oil for the body, all coming together for a soft and luminous finish. Cierra Black, Essence, 11 June 2025 That's 83 Ursae Majoris, a red giant star roughly 80 times larger and about 1,300 times more luminous than the sun. Joe Rao, Space.com, 9 June 2025 Even without amplification, her luminous voice could be clearly heard a block or more away. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for luminous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for luminous
Adjective
  • Giants first baseman Dom Smith, who played with Devers in Boston last season, offered a glowing endorsement of his former teammate.
    Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 16 June 2025
  • That shopper isn’t the only person who left a glowing review.
    Shea Simmons, People.com, 15 June 2025
Adjective
  • In terms of niche and micro brands, visitors can expect to see outstanding horology from companies such as Armin Strom, Bell & Ross, Biver, Bovet, F.P. Journe, Greubel Forsey, H. Moser &Cie, Ming, MB&F, Parmigiani Fleurier, and many more.
    Roberta Naas, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
  • In 2012, Bates won her first Emmy Award, taking home outstanding guest actress in a comedy series for Two and a Half Men.
    Brendan Le, People.com, 28 June 2025
Adjective
  • The pattern is unmistakable: just as Enron triggered SOX, AI governance failures will trigger mandatory expertise requirements.
    Steven Wolfe Pereira, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
  • The symbolism of the decision to target this base—the same one that U.S. President Donald Trump visited only two months ago during his tour of Gulf states, and one located in a country that maintains close ties to and shares an offshore gas field with Iran—is unmistakable.
    Dana Stroul, Foreign Affairs, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • Her next shining moment comes when two young sisters enter the hospital.
    Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • From September 25-28, the Windy City hosts Chicago Gourmet one of the nation’s most distinguished food festivals.
    Judy Koutsky, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
  • Developers feed their chatbot models on a torrent of material, much of it scraped from the web — everything from distinguished literary works to random babbling — as well as collections holding millions of books, articles, scientific papers and the like, some of it copyrighted.
    Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • But Cate mentioned obvious areas of interest such as housing, infrastructure, regulations, taxes and fees, trade and the overall cost of living.
    Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 June 2025
  • Such an obvious way to exhibit his egotistical personality.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 22 June 2025
Adjective
  • When Richard Ellmann’s James Joyce hit the shelves in 1959, the sheer size of the book (842 pages, 100 longer than Ulysses ) was as dazzling as the degree of detail.
    Eric Bulson, The Atlantic, 16 June 2025
  • Romance and your creative potential will be dazzling!
    Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 13 June 2025
Adjective
  • One starting point is seeking international students in the U.S. Students from around the world come to the U.S. to study AI and machine learning at prestigious schools.
    Sophie Alcorn, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
  • The film recently received the prestigious Sydney Film Prize at the 72nd Sydney Film Festival.
    Pete Hammond, Deadline, 25 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Luminous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/luminous. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

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