Effulgent

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ɪˈfʌldʒ(ə)nt/

Definitions

1. Radiating brilliant light with exceptional splendor and magnificence
2. Glowing with intense, dazzling brightness that conveys grandeur and excellence
3. Emitting a strong and dazzling light that captures attention and admiration

Etymology: Latin "effulgeō" meant "to shine forth" or "to flash," and it was built from "ex-" (in its variant form "ē-", meaning "out") and "fulgeō," "to gleam or glitter." The present participle "effulgēns" carried the sense "flashing, glittering," and English took the adjective directly from it. The Latin verb "fulgeō" is also the source of "fulgent," a close relative that means the same thing, so English ended up with two near-synonyms built on the same stem. The English adjective was recorded in the Oxford English Dictionary with an 1891 date, which is a late arrival for a word this formal. The stem "fulg-" is itself traceable to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "shiny; white," so the word's deepest meaning is brightness.

Synonyms: radiant, brilliant, luminous, shining, gleaming

Antonyms: dim, dull, lackluster, unremarkable, ordinary