Standard Lemma guide

photogenic

adj · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

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.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˌfəʊ.təʊˈd͡ʒɛn.ɪk/
  • US: /ˌfoʊ.toʊˈd͡ʒɛn.ɪk/
  • US: /ˌfoʊ.təˈd͡ʒɛn.ɪk/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛnɪk
  • CMU ARPABET: F OW2 T AH0 JH EH1 N IH0 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Generated or caused by light.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The sunbather developed a photogenic melanoma on her back.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Producing or emitting light; luminescent.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The photogenic bacteria were visible in the dark room.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Looking good when photographed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The company hired the spokesperson for his photogenic face.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

looking attractive in photographs

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From photo- + -genic.

Across languages

Translations

47 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: fotogeeninen — generated or caused by light
  • Galician: fotoxénico — generated or caused by light
  • Hungarian: fotogén — generated or caused by light
  • Italian: fotogeno — generated or caused by light
  • Portuguese: fotogénico — generated or caused by light
  • Bulgarian: луминесцентен (luminescenten) — producing or emitting light
  • Czech: světélkující — producing or emitting light
  • Finnish: valoa emittoiva — producing or emitting light
  • Galician: fotoxénico — producing or emitting light
  • Hungarian: fotogén — producing or emitting light
  • Italian: fotogeno — producing or emitting light
  • Portuguese: fotógeno — producing or emitting light
  • Spanish: fotogénico — producing or emitting light
  • Belarusian: фотагені́чны (fotahjeníčny) — looking good when photographed
  • Bulgarian: фотогеничен (fotogeničen) — looking good when photographed
  • Catalan: fotogènic — looking good when photographed
  • Chinese Mandarin: 上鏡 /上镜 (shàngjìng) — looking good when photographed
  • Czech: fotogenický — looking good when photographed
  • Danish: fotogen — looking good when photographed
  • Dutch: fotogeniek — looking good when photographed
  • Finnish: valokuvauksellinen — looking good when photographed
  • French: photogénique — looking good when photographed
  • Galician: fotoxénico — looking good when photographed
  • German: fotogen — looking good when photographed
  • Greek: φωτογενής (fotogenís) — looking good when photographed
  • Hungarian: fotogén — looking good when photographed
  • Irish: fótaigineach — looking good when photographed
  • Italian: fotogenico — looking good when photographed
  • Japanese: 写真写りがいい (shashin-utsuri-ga-ii) — looking good when photographed
  • Korean: 사진발 좋은 (sajinbal jo'eun) — looking good when photographed
  • Latvian: fotogēnisks — looking good when photographed
  • Maltese: fotoġeniku — looking good when photographed
  • Maltese: fotoġenika — looking good when photographed
  • Maltese: fotoġeniċi — looking good when photographed
  • Norwegian Bokmål: fotogen — looking good when photographed
  • Persian: خوشعکس (xoš-'aks) — looking good when photographed
  • Polish: fotogeniczny — looking good when photographed
  • Portuguese: fotogénico — looking good when photographed
  • Russian: фотогени́чный (fotogeníčnyj) — looking good when photographed
  • Slovak: fotogenický — looking good when photographed
  • Spanish: fotogénico — looking good when photographed
  • Swedish: fotogenisk — looking good when photographed
  • Swedish: fotogenique — looking good when photographed
  • Thai: ขึ้นกล้อง — looking good when photographed
  • Turkish: fotojenik — looking good when photographed
  • Ukrainian: фотогені́чний (fotoheníčnyj) — looking good when photographed
  • Vietnamese: ăn ảnh — looking good when photographed
Real reading context

photogenic in complete knowledge articles