ra·di·ant
ˈrā-dē-ənt 
2
: marked by or expressive of love, confidence, or happiness
a radiant smile
3
a
: emitted or transmitted by radiation
b
: emitting or relating to radiant heat
radiantly
adverb
: something that radiates: such as
a
: a point in the heavens at which the visible paths of meteors appear to meet when traced backward
b
: the part of a gas or electric heater that becomes incandescent
Examples of radiant in a Sentence
Adjective
She had a radiant inner glow.
She looked radiant at her wedding.
Recent Examples on the Web
Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 22 Oct. 2024
The best time to see the Orionids will be any time after midnight when constellation Orion — which is the Orionids’ radiant, or the area from which meteors appear to originate — is high in the sky, said Robert Lunsford, the fireball report coordinator for the American Meteor Society.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 20 Oct. 2024
John Tufts, The Courier-Journal, 9 Aug. 2024
The best time to watch the Perseid meteor shower, writes EarthSky, is from midnight into the predawn hours after the radiant has reached its highest point in the night sky.
—John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 7 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for radiant 
Adjective
The sheer, universal tint blends into all skin tones without a white cast, giving a radiant, even-toned complexion.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 22 Oct. 2024
The best time to see the Orionids will be any time after midnight when constellation Orion — which is the Orionids’ radiant, or the area from which meteors appear to originate — is high in the sky, said Robert Lunsford, the fireball report coordinator for the American Meteor Society.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 20 Oct. 2024
Noun
The best time to watch the Perseid meteor shower is from midnight into the predawn hours after the radiant has reached its highest point in the night sky, writes EarthSky.
—John Tufts, The Courier-Journal, 9 Aug. 2024
The best time to watch the Perseid meteor shower, writes EarthSky, is from midnight into the predawn hours after the radiant has reached its highest point in the night sky.
—John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 7 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for radiant
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'radiant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near radiant
Cite this Entry
“Radiant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/radiant. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
radiant
adjective
ra·di·ant
ˈrād-ē-ənt
1
: emitted or transmitted by radiation
2
: emitting or relating to radiant heat
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