Synonyms of ray

ray 1 of 2

noun

1

as in beam

a narrow sharply defined line of light radiating from an object

two red eyes reflected in the ray of light from the flashlight

Synonyms & Similar Words

• beam
• shaft
• laser
• sunbeam
• spotlight
• moonbeam
• sunburst

2

as in glimmer

a very small amount

the tapping sound ceased, extinguishing the last ray of hope that the trapped miners were still alive

Synonyms & Similar Words

• glimmer
• splash
• speck
• hint
• shred
• sprinkling
• touch
• bit
• little
• particle
• spark
• trace
• tad
• lick
• sliver
• streak
• fleck
• dab
• scintilla
• ounce
• handful
• shadow
• shade
• spatter
• suspicion
• smack
• smidgen
• crumb
• smell
• dram
• ace
• spot
• strain
• portion
• peanuts
• mite
• dose
• dash
• pinch
• drop in the bucket
• nip
• minimum
• drop
• soupçon
• bite
• scruple
• atom
• molecule
• grain
• mote
• driblet
• whit
• dot
• patch
• iota
• snap
• skosh
• syllable
• modicum
• semblance
• taste
• fragment
• vestige
• section
• scattering
• part
• granule
• minim
• tittle
• jot
• nibble
• morsel
• scrap
• splinter
• shard
• smattering
• hoot
• flake
• nubbin
• chip
• flyspeck
• shiver
• tatter
• smatter
• clipping
• paring
• shaving
• shot
• smithereens

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• quantity
• mass
• abundance
• mountain
• bundle
• loads
• barrel
• deal
• wealth
• bushel
• pile
• lot
• raft
• bucket
• plenty
• stack
• profusion
• peck
• heaps
• volume
• wad
• mess
• fistful
• reams
• surplus
• excess
• lashings
• boatload
• gobs
• slab
• scads
• oodles
• embarrassment
• potful
• passel
• overflow
• surfeit
• overabundance
• bonanza
• superabundance
• chunk
• much
• lump
• oversupply
• superfluity
• hunk
• overage
• overkill
• overmuch

ray

2 of 2

verb

1

as in to shine

to emit rays of light

klieg lights were raying against the nighttime sky at the Hollywood premiere

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shine
• glow
• beam
• flash
• radiate
• gleam
• flare
• glimmer
• flicker
• light
• flame
• shimmer
• illumine
• blaze
• glitter
• glisten
• sparkle
• twinkle
• burn
• glare
• glint
• beat (down)
• fire
• glister
• sheen
• blind
• luminesce
• spangle
• scintillate
• illuminate
• brighten
• coruscate
• lighten
• luster
• irradiate
• blink
• dazzle
• wink
• winkle
• daze
• bedazzle

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• darken
• lower
• blacken

2

as in to radiate

to extend outwards from or as if from a central point

laugh wrinkles rayed out from the corners of the old man's eyes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• radiate
• branch
• flow
• emanate
• stem
• derive
• diverge
• diffuse
• fan (out)
• spread
• dispel
• dissipate
• proceed
• arise
• scatter
• split
• fork
• spring
• disperse
• separate
• divide
• issue
• part
• ramify
• unyoke
• splay
• uncouple
• unlink

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• focus
• meet
• concentrate
• converge
• approach
• funnel
• near
• couple
• link
• connect
• join
• unite
• close in (on)
• center (on)
• centralize

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of ray

Noun

Finally, the wind seemed to permanently lie down, though storm clouds still haunted the horizon, forcing the sunset to squeeze beneath them, its rays condensed into a lurid, painterly slash. — Heidi Julavits, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026

The dress was designed with a plunging neckline and a formfitting silhouette with a strips of fabric that evoked sunlight and rays. — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026

Verb

Scientists have long grouped sharks together as a natural evolutionary unit, meaning every shark species shares a common ancestor that rays and skates do not. — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026

The PlayStation 5 Pro is a more powerful spin on the vanilla PS5, thanks to ray tracing and AI upscaling that give games a visual boost. — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026

Phrases Containing ray

• manta ray