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refulgent

refulgent

9.9
Shining brightly like the sun or a bright lamp
  • adjective
  • /rɪˈfʌldʒənt/
  • Literature
translation icon : resplandeciente
  • He sat behind a polished mahogany desk, impressively barren, refulgent in the luminous halo of the floor-to-ceiling windows that formed the outer wall.

Examples

  • The midnight sun had given up its doomed attempt to sink and was now rising again in refulgent splendor.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • When he brings it back down again to eye level, there is a spattering of blood refulgent against the dim light all over it.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • "The age is refulgent with spiritual promise, even though that promise is threatened by consumerism.

    Academic text (2010)
  • Refulgent, the young king becomes no less "terrible" in issuing the reprieve: Alexander's show-stopping yet essentially empty homage helps only to ensure that he will become the subject of future poetic celebrations.

    Academic text (2002)
  • "Exavious turned to look at Gerald, turning on him the terrific illumination of his gaze, his darkly refulgent eyes exposing everything that Gerald had sought so long to hide."

    Fiction book (1998)
  • The sun rose over the mountains, casting a refulgent glow across the valley.

  • Her smile was refulgent, lighting up the entire room with joy.

  • The refulgent stars twinkled brightly in the clear night sky.

Synonyms

bright
vsrefulgent
459 1.0

Full of strong light that makes a place easy to see

is brighter and carries a more impressive quality
radiant
vsrefulgent
64 4.1

Shining or glowing brightly, often seeming very happy

is more extreme in brightness and more spectacular
luminous
vsrefulgent
38 4.8

Shining with a soft steady light like a lantern

is much brighter and more intensely radiant
brilliant
vsrefulgent
30 3.0

Very bright and shining with strong light

is more marked by grandeur and radiant spectacle
resplendent
vsrefulgent
11 7.9

Bright and beautiful in a way that looks impressive

is more about intense light rather than just appearance
incandescent
vsrefulgent
  • Literature
3 7.5

Full of strong feeling or passion

focuses more on sheer luminous brilliance rather than emotion
effulgent
vsrefulgent
  • Literature
1 9.9

Shining with a strong bright light

is even stronger in brightness and more dazzling
fulgent
vsrefulgent
  • Literature
9.9

Shining with a strong, bright light

is broader in grandeur and slightly more impressive
lightful
vsrefulgent
  • Archaic
7.7

Full of bright light

is more forceful in light and more showy
beamy
vsrefulgent
  • UK
8.6

Shining with bright light or looking very happy

is stronger in overall shine and more spectacular

Antonyms

dim
62 1.0

Not bright and having only a little light

31 1.0

Not bright or shiny with weak colour

How Bright

dazzling
2 3.1
refulgent
  • Literature
9.9
bright
459 1.0
dim
62 1.0

Surface Forms

refulgent positive

Morphology

refulgent = fulgent (semi-transparent) = re + fulgent

Built from the rare adjective 'fulgent' with the prefix 're-' functioning as an intensifier rather than 'again', so the relation to 'shine' is present but not fully transparent to average learners.

Etymology

Refulgent comes from Latin parts re- ('back') and fulgere ('to shine'), so it is like 'shining back' when light bounces off something. So refulgent means very bright or brilliantly shining.