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Make Your Point > Archived Issues > EFFULGENT

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pronounce EFFULGENT:

eh FULGE unt
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connect this word to others:

(Source)

I laugh when I see the word effulgent because it reminds me of the above horrible, horrible poem from an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. 

The poem may be horrible, but the word effulgent is still wonderful. Something effulgent seems to shine out or gleam out, and it's based on the Latin fulgere, "to shine, to gleam, to flash."

See if you can recall another English word related to fulgere. It means "to criticize in a loud, harsh, explosive way that reminds you of thunder or lightning." It's ful____te.

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)  

definition:

"Effulgent" has Latin bits that literally mean "gleaming outward" or "shining outward."

We've used it since the 1700s to mean "gleaming, shining, radiant, brilliant."

So, when you'd like a poetic, old-fashioned word for something either literally or figuratively shining or dazzling, you can call it effulgent.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Adjective: "effulgent clouds;" "The clouds were effulgent."

Other forms: 

The adverb is "effulgently," as in "The clouds shone effulgently."

And the noun is "effulgence," as in "The clouds' effulgence dazzled us."

how to use it:

When you need to describe something that shines and dazzles—something amazing, brilliant, or glorious—and you prefer a word that sounds scholarly, poetic, and emphatic, pick "effulgent."

You could talk about an effulgent light or glow, effulgent colors or patterns, or effulgent sunrises or sunsets.

Or if you like to get abstract, talk about effulgent poems or songs; or about someone's effulgent grace, beauty, hope, or happiness.

examples:

"Prince, in effulgent gold and purple stripes, announced his memoir as he leaned on a Plexiglas barrier on a stairway high above the crowd." 
   — Dan Piepenbring, The New Yorker, 2 September 2019

"The suite is a wonderfully accomplished score, full of rich, effulgent colours that positively glowed under the generous sweep of Brabbins' performance."   
  — Andrew Clements, The Guardian, 10 January 2013

has this page helped you understand "effulgent"?

   

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this term, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.


study it:

Explain the meaning of "effulgent" without saying "radiant" or "resplendent."

try it out:

As we've seen, "effulgent" is an intense, poetic word. Flashy, even. When you use it, you might sound like H. P. Lovecraft:

"And when the day dawned, rosy and effulgent, I beheld the green shore of far lands, bright and beautiful, and to me unknown."

Let's see another Lovecraft example:

"She repeated words whose melody lay hid like crystals at the bottom of a stream before the dawn; hidden but to gleam effulgently at the birth of day."

Considering the poetic intensity of the word "effulgent," see if you can pick a day, an event, or an experience from your own life that you might describe as effulgent. One that, in your memory, is bright and beautiful, shining like crystals in a stream at dawn.




before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game this month is "Words On Words On Birds."

Use your knowledge of vocabulary to answer questions about the terminology describing names for birds.

Try this today:

Bird genus names like Vermivora, Arachnothera, and Ichthyoborus are examples of

A. ergonyms.
B. phagonyms.
C. phononyms.
D. taxonyms.

Need a hint? Highlight the hidden text: Consider the meaning of words like "vermin," "arachnids," and "ichthyology" in the context of birds and their behavior.

To see the answer, scroll all the way down. 

review this word:

1. The precise opposite of EFFULGENT is INEFFULGENT, which means

A. DULL, LACKLUSTER.
B. NOBLE, ILLUSTRIOUS.
C. ROAMING, WANDERLUSTING.

2. In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the vampire Drusilla coos, "I see what you want. Something _____. Something... effulgent."

A. innocent and pure
B. bruised and broken
C. glowing and glistening




Answers to the review questions:
1. A
2. C

From the game:

Bird genus names like Vermivora, Arachnothera, and Ichthyoborus are examples of

A. ergonyms.
B. phagonyms. This is the correct answer.
C. phononyms.
D. taxonyms.

Phagonyms (literally "eating names") are names that show what a creature eats. Vermivora is a genus of birds that eat worms, Arachnothera is a genus that hunts spiders, and Ichthyoborus is a genus that goes fishing.

Ergonyms, literally "work names," show how birds "work" in terms of breeding, flying, or other behaviors. Phononyms, "sound names," imitate birds' sounds or songs. And taxonyms, "arrangement names," show how birds are related to one another.


a final word:


I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.

I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.


From my blog:
On vocabulary...
      36 ways to study words.
      Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
      How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
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      How to motivate our kids to write.
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A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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