illumine

verb

i-ˈlü-mən How to pronounce illumine (audio)
Definition of illuminenext
1
as in to illuminate
to supply with light small table lamps illumine the inn's dining room in a most romantic way

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to educate
to provide (someone) with moral or spiritual understanding readers of great literature are both entertained and illumined

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of illumine Fantastic, illumined by periodic excursions into surrealism, as when the crew of a mysterious UFO boards a transpacific Kahuna Airlines jet midflight. — Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026 Geraldine walked over to Felix and Jane’s for fish soup, through long autumn shadows in the park, haze rising like smoke from the grass, illumined by the low sun. — Tessa Hadley, New Yorker, 25 Jan. 2026 The bar was illumined by candles and an uplit line of mostly esoteric liquors along the full-length mirror against the back wall. — Lauren Groff, The Atlantic, 28 Sep. 2024 In a room illumined by the light of a few candles, a group of women with veils over their faces conducts a séance. — Rhoda Feng, ARTnews.com, 9 Aug. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illumine
  1. illuminate
  2. educate
  3. light
  4. inspire
  5. brighten
Verb
  • Each morning at the crack of dawn, in one of the great Instagram moments of our time, 165 enormous balloons begin to swell in Cappadocia's half-light, their burners briefly illuminating the valley floor.
    — Scott Campbell, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
  • At night, few lights are turned on inside these beautiful slabs; of the twelve units in each building, only one or two are illuminated, meaning that most people with residences there live elsewhere in the city.
    — Jonathan Flint, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of illuminate
Verb
  • His campaign is trying to stamp out the stigma that surrounds an HIV diagnosis and educate people about the basics, such as how the virus can't be spread through touching or sharing food.
    — Betsy Joles, NPR, 2 Sep. 2026
  • My main goal is to educate and try and help clarify any confusion.
    — Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of educate
Verb
  • During the first hour, pine grove owners urged fire commanders to light a backfire a few hundred yards from Le Porge.
    — Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Down the hall, his girlfriend examines her birth chart, lights the palo santo and wonders whether Mercury is going to wreck her Tuesday.
    — Ryan Zickgraf, Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of light
Verb
  • Chelsea, despite missing out on a late move for Lamine Camara, and Tottenham have improved considerably, but that is more a reflection of previous dysfunction — and a lighter schedule — than inspired recruitment.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The museum plaza’s sweeping bridge creates a canopy of welcoming shade (inspired by Expo Park’s own trees), which the city — particularly this part — desperately needs.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of inspire
Verb
  • Phase 2 begins when the fragment reaches denser air, and the meteor begins to brighten.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Apply this in the morning to brighten your skin and protect it from environmental stressors.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of brighten

Browse Nearby Words

illuminative
illumine
illumined
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Illumine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illumine. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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