luminous

adjective

lu·​mi·​nous ˈlü-mə-nəs 

1

a

: emitting or reflecting usually steady, suffused, or glowing light

luminous objects—the nebula, the stars, the planets

—Lincoln La Paz

b

: of or relating to light or to luminous flux

2

: bathed in or exposed to steady light

luminous with sunlight

3

: clear, enlightening

a luminous explanation

4

: shining, illustrious

a luminous film star

a luminous performance

luminously adverb

luminousness noun

Did you know?

Luminous, like its synonyms radiant, shining, glowing, and lustrous, is generally a positive adjective, especially when it describes something that doesn't literally glow, such as a face, a performance, or a poem. Luminous signs depend on a gas such as neon, krypton, argon, xenon, or radon—and you can use luminous (DayGlo) paint to make your own signs. New technologies have now given us luminous fabrics, which are being used to produce striking or creepy effects in clothing, upholstery, and interior surfaces.

Synonyms

• beaming
• bedazzling
• bright
• brilliant
• candescent
• clear
• dazzling
• effulgent
• fulgent
• glowing
• incandescent
• lambent
• lucent
• lucid
• lustrous
• radiant
• refulgent
• sheeny
• shining
• shiny
• splendid

Choose the Right Synonym for luminous

bright, brilliant, radiant, luminous, lustrous mean shining or glowing with light.

bright implies emitting or reflecting a high degree of light.

brilliant implies intense often sparkling brightness.

radiant stresses the emission or seeming emission of rays of light.

luminous implies emission of steady, suffused, glowing light by reflection or in surrounding darkness.

lustrous stresses an even, rich light from a surface that reflects brightly without glittering.

Examples of luminous in a Sentence

I saw the cat's luminous eyes in my car's headlights.

a watch with a luminous dial

The room was luminous with sunlight.

Recent Examples on the Web

For many, The Debates are the heart of Fantastic Fest — a luminous example of what film culture can be when midnight movie lovers run wild. —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 1 Nov. 2024

It’s never been plausible to portray the luminous Russell as an unkempt tomboy who can’t be bothered to brush her hair. —Alison Herman, Variety, 30 Oct. 2024

Infused with hydrating ingredients that make the skin cells plump and juicy, these face moisturizers help your skin reflect light and lend a more luminous look. —Jenny Berg, Allure, 24 Oct. 2024

Like the billions of too-faint-to-see stars collectively melding to create the Milky Way’s luminous glow in our sky, these distant galaxies combine their ultradim light to make what astronomers call the cosmic optical background. —Phil Plait, Scientific American, 4 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English luminouse, luminose, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French luminous, borrowed from Latin lūminōsus "full of light, dazzling," from lūmin-, lūmen "light, source of light" + -ōsus -ous — more at lumen

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing luminous

• luminous energy
• luminous flux
• luminous paint
• self-luminous

Kids Definition

luminous

adjective

lu·​mi·​nous ˈlü-mə-nəs 

1

: giving off light : shining

2

: being lighted

a public square luminous with sunlight

3

: clear entry 1 sense 3

luminous writing

4

: illustrious

luminously adverb

luminousness noun

Medical Definition

luminous

adjective

lu·​mi·​nous ˈlü-mə-nəs 

1

: emitting or reflecting usually steady, suffused, or glowing light

2

: of or relating to light or to luminous flux