Vocabulary Builder: Refulgent

Long Definition:

re·ful·gent /r??f?l d??nt/ Pronunciation Key – Show Spelled Pronunciation[ri-fuhl-juh nt] Pronunciation Key – Show IPA Pronunciation

–adjective

shining brightly; radiant; gleaming: Crystal chandeliers and gilded walls made the opera house a refulgent setting for the ball.

---

[Origin: 1500–10; <>refulgent- (s. of refulgéns, prp. of refulgére to radiate light). See re-, fulgent ]

—Related forms

re·ful·gence, re·ful·gen·cy, re·ful·gent·ness, noun

re·ful·gent·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Short Definition: Shining brightly

Sentences:
Her refulgent smile made her a natural choice for the toothpaste commercial.
The student’s refulgent intellect was evident to all her professors.
The star Sirius is known for it’s refulgency in the winter sky.

Mnemonic:
Reef fool > shining brightly. I’m floating on a life raft in the middle of the ocean late at night. I hear the sound of waves crashing and notice a bright light ahead. When I get closer I can see it’s a fool (like a jester) standing on a hidden reef. The waves are crashing on the reef and will tear my life raft apart if I don’t do something. The reef fool has a big letter ‘F’ , for ‘fool,’ (to help me remember he’s a fool and not a jester) emblazoned on his shirt and it’s shining brightly in the night like a lighthouse beacon.