Incandescent
/ˌɪnkənˈdesnt/
Definitions
2 meaningsEmitting light as a result of being heated to a high temperature; glowing.
/ˌɪnkənˈdesnt/
emitting light as a result of being heated
The incandescent light bulb was slowly replaced by more energy-efficient alternatives.
💡 Simply: Imagine a light bulb that gets so hot it starts to glow. That's incandescent! It's like a super-hot, bright light.
👶 For kids: When something is so hot it makes light, like a lightbulb, it's incandescent!
More Examples
The molten lava flowed down the volcano, an incandescent river of fire.
His face was incandescent with rage.
How It's Used
"An incandescent bulb produces light by heating a filament."
"The author described the sun as an incandescent orb in the sky."
(Figurative) Characterized by intense emotion, brilliance, or passion.
/ˌɪnkənˈdesnt/
passionate or brilliant
The actress gave an incandescent performance, earning a standing ovation.
💡 Simply: It can also describe someone super passionate or talented, like a singer with a super bright performance!
👶 For kids: When someone is super excited or really good at something, like a glowing lightbulb!
More Examples
The poet's incandescent imagery created a vivid picture in the reader's mind.
The artist's passion for the project was incandescent.
How It's Used
"Her performance was incandescent, captivating the entire audience."
"The speaker's delivery was incandescent, igniting a fire in the hearts of the listeners."
From Latin 'incandescens', present participle of 'incandescere' meaning 'to become white or glowing'. This stems from 'in-' (in, on) + 'candescere' (to begin to glow white).
Used extensively in scientific literature from the 18th century onward to describe the properties of heated substances.
Memory tip
Think of a candle (cand-); it *incandesces* when the wick burns, emitting light and heat.