fulgurant

9.9

Something that shines very brightly and suddenly, like lightning, to surprise people

adjective
/ˈfʌlɡərənt/

Literature

: fulgurante

Her fulgurant performance left the audience in awe, with every move more dazzling than the last.

Examples

The fireworks display was fulgurant, lighting up the sky with brilliant flashes of color.
The artist's use of vibrant colors created a fulgurant effect that captivated everyone who saw it.
Pan recklessly about the darkened kitchen, fulgurant with lightning beyond a rain-streaked window.

Fiction book (1998)

Synonyms

dazzling

vsfulgurant

39 3.9

Very impressive and attractive in a way that gets attention

adds the extra sense of sudden lightning-like flashing to that brilliance

sparkly

vsfulgurant

30 2.3

Shining with many small bright points like glitter

is more dramatic and striking, not merely decorative sparkle

eye-popping

vsfulgurant

Informal

7 4.8

Very surprising and impressive to look at

keeps that surprise but adds a lightning-like flashing brightness

splendiferous

vsfulgurant

5 9.9

Very beautiful and impressive, like at a big party

is more about sudden dazzling flashes and visual striking power

fabulous

vsfulgurant

5 4.2

So surprising that it seems hard to believe

leans more on dramatic visual flashing and dazzling brightness

sparkling

vsfulgurant

5 1.3

Shining with small bright points like light on snow

is more intense and striking, like a sudden lightning flash

incandescent

vsfulgurant

Literature

3 7.5

Full of strong feeling or passion

leans more to sudden, striking flashes than steady intense glow

glittering

vsfulgurant

2 3.0

Shining with many small bright points like stars

is more about a single dazzling flash and strong striking effect

fulgurous

vsfulgurant

Literature

9.9

Very bright and flashing like lightning that makes a strong impression

is the same dazzling lightning idea but as a standard form

fulgid

vsfulgurant

Literature

9.9

Shining very brightly with small flashes of light

is similar but stresses an overall striking, lightning-like impression

fulgent

vsfulgurant

Literature

9.9

Shining with a strong, bright light

focuses more on sudden flashing and striking impact rather than steady glow

aglitter

vsfulgurant

Literature

8.1

Shining with many small bright points of light

focuses instead on a sudden, dazzling flash rather than many small lights

Antonyms

ordinary

683 1.0

Normal and not special or unusual

uninspiring

7 3.5

Not interesting or exciting

How Dazzling

blinding

3 4.1

fulgurant

Literature

9.9

dazzling

39 3.9

impressive

584 3.4

noticeable

65 3.2

Surface Forms

fulgurant positive

Morphology

fulgurant = fulgur + ant

Although analyzable as the Latin combining form 'fulgur-' + '-ant', neither element is a productive or familiar English morpheme for B1 learners, so the meaning is not transparently derived from known English base words.

Etymology

Fulgurant comes from the Latin root fulgur, which means 'lightning' or a sudden 'flash' of light. So a fulgurant moment or performance is like a bright, fast flash that surprises and impresses people.