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Glite Dictionary
effulgent smile

effulgent smile

8.7
A very bright smile that shows great happiness
  • noun
  • /ɪˈfʌldʒənt smaɪl/
  • Literature
translation icon : sonrisa efulgente
  • Her effulgent smile lit up the entire room.

Examples

  • The bride's effulgent smile reflected her happiness on her wedding day.

  • The child greeted us with an effulgent smile.

  • He greeted his friends with an effulgent smile that was impossible to resist.

  • Her effulgent smile brightened everyone's day at the office.

  • He greeted his friends with an effulgent smile that was impossible to resist.

  • Her effulgent smile brightened everyone's day at the office.

  • The bride's effulgent smile reflected her happiness on her wedding day.

Synonyms

warm smile
vseffulgent smile
4 1.0

A friendly expression on the face that shows real kindness

is more visually shining and joyful rather than only friendly
incandescent smile
vseffulgent smile
  • Literature
6.5

A bright warm look on someone's face that lights a room

is similarly joyful but emphasizes warmth rather than pure brightness
lambent smile
vseffulgent smile
  • Literature
8.6

A gentle smile that seems to glow softly

is stronger and more openly joyful rather than softly lit
merry smile
vseffulgent smile
1.1

A happy look on someone's face that shows joy

is more intense and visually shining, adding warmth to joy
priceless smile
vseffulgent smile
3.6

A smile that shows great joy and means a lot to someone

focuses on visible shining warmth rather than emotional value

Antonyms

frown
54 1.0

A facial expression with the eyebrows pushed together showing dislike or worry

scowl
15 3.9

An angry look that shows you do not like something

How Radiant

effulgent smile
  • Literature
8.7
beaming
2.5
grinning
5 1.0
warm smile
4 1.0
wee smile
6.5

Surface Forms

effulgent smile singular
effulgent smiles plural

Morphology

effulgent + smile

The meaning is directly compositional: 'effulgent' means emitting brilliant light and 'smile' is a facial expression, so together they yield 'a shining/radiant smile'. This adjective+noun combination follows normal semantic composition, so a learner who knows both words can readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Effulgent smile comes from an old word that meant 'to shine', so imagine a smile that seems to give off light like the sun. A shining effulgent smile gives a clear image and explains why the phrase means a 'bright' smile full of joy.