Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
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adj
Made brilliant or bright; irradiated, illuminated.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: literary, poetic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Made splendid or wonderful.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, literary, poetic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To send out (heat, light, or some other form of radiation) in the form of rays; to radiate.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: literary, poetic, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To make (someone or something) bright by shining light on them or it; to brighten, to illuminate.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: literary, often, poetic, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: illumine, light up, alight, belight, beshine, bright, enlighten, fire, illume, illuminate, illustrate, irradiate, light, lighten, luster, lustrate, shed light on
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To apply radiation other than visible light to (someone or something).
To treat (food) with ionizing radiation to destroy pathogens.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: literary, poetic, transitive
Topics: engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, technology
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To apply radiation other than visible light to (someone or something).
To treat (a patient, or a cancerous growth or tumour) with radiation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: literary, poetic, transitive
Topics: engineering, medicine, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences, technology
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To animate or enliven (one's mood, or soul or spirit).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, literary, often, poetic, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To cause (one's face) to look beautiful, happy, or lively; to light up.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, literary, often, poetic, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To decorate (a place) splendidly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, literary, often, poetic, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To enlighten (someone, their mind, etc.) intellectually or spiritually; to illuminate, to shed light on.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, literary, often, poetic, transitive
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To send out (something) as if in the form of rays; to diffuse, to radiate, to shed.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, literary, often, poetic, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To influence (something) as if with rays of heat, light, etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, literary, obsolete, poetic, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To become bright; to brighten, to light up.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, literary, often, poetic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Often followed by on or upon: to emit rays of light; to shine.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, literary, often, poetic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To emit something other than light; to radiate.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, intransitive, literary, often, poetic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To diverge or be sent out in the form of rays.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, literary, obsolete, often, poetic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
expose to radiation
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: ray
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: process, treat
Narrower terms: bombard
verb
cast rays of light upon
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: lighten, lighten up
verb
give spiritual insight to; in religion
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: enlighten
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: prophesy, vaticinate
History
From Middle English irradiate (“illuminated, shining”), borrowed from Medieval Latin irradiātus, perfect passive participle of irradiō, from ir- (“against; into; on, upon”) + radiō (“to cause to radiate, irradiate; to emit beams, radiate”), from radius (“ray of light; rod, staff; spoke of a wheel”) + -ō (first conjugation verb-forming suffix) (further etymology uncertain; possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *reh1t- (“beam; pole; post”)). The adjective is attested earlier than the verb. The English word is analysable as in- (“against; into; on, upon”) + radiate.
From Middle English irradiate (“illuminated, shining”) (more at etymology 1), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).
Across languages
12 source translations are retained for this English entry.
