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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective radiant differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of radiant are bright, brilliant, luminous, and lustrous. While all these words mean "shining or glowing with light," radiant stresses the emission or seeming emission of rays of light.

In what contexts can bright take the place of radiant?

The words bright and radiant can be used in similar contexts, but bright implies emitting or reflecting a high degree of light.

When is it sensible to use brilliant instead of radiant?

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

When can luminous be used instead of radiant?

While in some cases nearly identical to radiant, luminous implies emission of steady, suffused, glowing light by reflection or in surrounding darkness.

When would lustrous be a good substitute for radiant?

The meanings of lustrous and radiant largely overlap; however, lustrous stresses an even, rich light from a surface that reflects brightly without glittering.

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 radiant Diana Ross, radiant in a white gown, sweeps past and grabs Will Smith by the shoulder to say hello. Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2025 Both showers have their radiant points — where the meteors appear to come from in the night sky — in constellations (Aquarius and Capricorn) low in the south as seen from the Northern Hemisphere. Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025 Here, again, are Breton women, gathered around a blood-red ring in which Jacob is grappling with the angel, whose wings are a radiant gold; the viewer, peering over the observers’ shoulders to catch a glimpse of the spectacle, is thrust directly into the action. Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 11 July 2025 Just a few drops pressed into skin after your cleansing routine (or mixed into your moisturizer) leaves your face soft, radiant, and dewy. Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 8 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for radiant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for radiant
Adjective
  • Derek is a bright and curious kid who dreams of becoming a scientist one day.
    The Star, Kansas City Star, 20 July 2025
  • There are also some bright and cheerful-looking design elements such as colorful military campaign ribbons on the flags.
    Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 20 July 2025
Adjective
  • Made with soothing, hydrating ingredients like aloe vera and vitamin E, the sunscreen lotion has a luminous finish that gives the skin a summery, just-back-from-Bondi-beach glow.
    Jenny Berg, Allure, 21 July 2025
  • Arizona's Emerald Cave, also known as Emerald Cove, shimmers with luminous green light.
    Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 17 July 2025
Adjective
  • For the past few months, diners at the West Loop restaurant have received their bill with a glowing portrait of Sullivan, celebrating her appearance on the show.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 22 July 2025
  • Poster Suite—the hotel’s crown jewel—dressed with a stately four-poster bed, a stylish lounge area (think long floral drapes, retro Roberts radios, regal armchairs, and historic prints of Haddon Hall), and a snug ensuite with a small bath tub and a glowing vanity mirror.
    Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 16 July 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
  • Decades later, in 2019, Irishman Shane Lowry—buoyed by a dazzling third-round 63—won his first major in runaway fashion on these same dunes, igniting a raucous celebration across the island.
    Mike Dojc, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • There, game drives reveal elephants wading through papyrus channels, leopards draped over fig branches, and a dazzling array of birdlife.
    Marni Granston, Travel + Leisure, 14 July 2025
Adjective
  • Warm, sunny weather optimizes the conditions for this sort of reaction, meaning unhealthy ozone levels are often seen in the summer.
    Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 24 July 2025
  • Gerard Butler is a Scot whose second film credit was the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, and Austin Butler is an American from sunny California who got his start as a teen on a handful of Disney and Nickelodeon shows in the mid-2000s.
    Katie Labovitz, People.com, 22 July 2025
Adjective
  • Tens of millions of ash trees lost to the shiny, metallic green, half-inch insect in Michigan’s lower peninsula alone.
    Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
  • While she was alarmed by shiny black leggings, slingback boots, and a jean jacket, I was equally stunned by her Pentecostal version of nurses’ scrubs; a powder blue, boxy dress with a matching jacket and headwrap.
    Essence, Essence, 24 July 2025
Adjective
  • From the cast member who clocked my son’s pin collection–and then pointed out the hotel’s own trading station—to our cheerful server at the Lava Pool, who came equipped with sandwich recommendations, everyone was consistently helpful and attentive.
    Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 21 July 2025
  • Kurt's key takeaways The Elmo hack shattered more than just a cheerful digital persona.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Radiant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/radiant. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on radiant

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