resplendent

resplendent — adjective

1. describing something or someone that shines with a rich, impressive brightness a

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

describing something or someone that shines with a rich, impressive brightness and beauty — for example, a palace decorated in gold, a bride in an elaborate gown, or a bird with brilliantly coloured feathers.

Example

The temple stood resplendent in the morning sun, its golden roof blazing with light.

predicative: be resplendent

Gabriel wore a resplendent crimson robe to the coronation ceremony.

resplendent + noun (attributive use)

Common collocations
  • resplendent in (a suit / a gown / uniform)
  • resplendent with (jewels / flowers / gold / colour)
  • resplendent beauty
  • resplendent plumage
  • resplendent sunset
Synonyms
  • magnificent

    similar in grandeur, but less focused on the brightness of the appearance

  • dazzling

    emphasizes the overwhelming brightness, often to the point of being hard to look at

  • radiant

    suggests light or warmth emanating from within, often used for people's faces

  • splendid

    very close in meaning, slightly less formal and less dramatic in tone

Antonyms
  • dull

    lacking brightness or shine

  • drab

    boring and plain in colour or appearance

  • gloomy

    dark, dim, or depressing in appearance

Grammar Patterns

resplendent + noun

resplendent with + noun phrase

Usage Note

Typically found in formal, literary, or descriptive writing. Can appear both attributively (before a noun) and predicatively (after a linking verb). When specifying what causes the splendor, use 'with': 'resplendent with jewels.'

Common Mistakes

The sunset was resplendent beautiful.
The sunset was resplendent.' or 'The sunset was resplendently beautiful.
'resplendent' is an adjective and cannot modify another adjective; use the adverb 'resplendently' instead.

Word family

  • resplendently
    adverbC2
  • resplendence
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five words describe something visually impressive, but they differ in emphasis. Resplendent is the most dramatic and literary — it combines rich colour, brightness, and grandeur in a single image, often suggesting gold, jewels, or ceremonial decoration. Magnificent focuses on grand scale and impressiveness rather than brightness (a magnificent cathedral can be dark stone). Dazzling highlights overwhelming brightness that almost hurts the eyes, like sunlight on snow. Radiant suggests a gentle, warm glow that seems to come from within — often used for smiles, faces, or the sun. Splendid is the most general and least formal; it can describe anything from a meal to a view to a piece of clothing. For a scene of ceremonial richness — a bride in gold, a palace at sunset — resplendent is the precise choice.

resplendent ↗magnificent ↗dazzlingradiant ↗splendid ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in full regalia
  • in all its glory

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'resplendēre' — meaning 'to shine brightly' — formed by the intensive prefix 're-' (adding force) plus 'splendēre' (to shine). The word entered English via French in the 15th century, originally describing jewels, precious metals, and the heavens.