Luminous
/ˈluːmɪnəs/
adjectiveB2
Definition
Luminous describes something that produces or reflects light so it can be seen easily, especially in the dark. It can refer to things that glow by themselves or things that shine because they reflect light from another source.
Was this helpful?
See It in Action
Giving off light by itself or shining clearly
- •The luminous moon lit up the dark sky.
- •Her watch has luminous hands that glow in the dark.
- •The luminous paint made the signs easy to see at night.
Very clear or easy to understand (used figuratively)
- •The professor gave a luminous explanation that helped everyone understand.
- •His luminous ideas made the project successful.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "luminous" like "bright," but with a stronger or clearer light that you can see well even in the dark.
- ✓Picture a glowing star in the night sky or a soft light coming from a lamp in a dark room.
- ✓It's the feeling of calm and safety you get when a light shines warmly in a dark place.
- ✓Sounds like "LOO-min-us" → imagine a "loom" weaving threads of light that shine and glow.
- ✓Think of a firefly’s soft light glowing in the dark or a watch face that shines so you can see the time at night.
- ✓NOT like "glow" (which can be soft and sometimes faint), "luminous" usually means a clear, strong light.
- ✓NOT like "shine" (which can be a reflection), "luminous" often means the object itself gives off light.
- ✓NOT like "bright" (which can mean strong light in general), "luminous" often suggests a gentle or steady light.
Try Other Words
- •Glowing: giving off a soft light (Use when the light is gentle and warm, less formal)
- •Radiant: shining brightly with energy (Use when light is very strong and full of energy)
- •Shining: reflecting light clearly (Use when light comes from reflection rather than the object itself)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "lumin-" (light) + suffix "-ous" (full of or having the quality of)
- •Etymology: From Latin "lūminōsus," meaning full of light or bright
- •Historical development: Used in English since the 1600s to describe things that give off light or appear bright
- •Modern usage: Commonly used to describe natural or artificial light sources, also used in figurative language to describe clarity or brilliance of ideas
Reflect & Connect
•How can something be luminous without being very bright or strong?
•In what situations might you describe a person’s idea as luminous?
Fill in the blanks
1.The luminous stars in the sky helped the hikers ___ their way at night.
2.A watch with luminous hands is useful because it ___ in the dark.
3.Unlike a bright light that can hurt your eyes, a luminous light is usually ___ and easy to look at.
4.When the room was dark, the luminous paint on the walls ___ softly.
5.The teacher’s luminous explanation made the difficult topic ___ for all students.
6.A luminous object usually gives off light by ___, not just by reflecting it.
7.You can tell something is luminous if it ___ light even when there is no other source nearby.