Glowing — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /ˈglō-iŋ/ glow·ing

Meaning & Definition of Glowing

Glowing (adjective)

  1. producing light, shining with or as if with warmth or heat
  2. marked by a rich, warm coloration
  3. radiantly healthful

Glowing (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. giving off or reflecting much light

    "enjoyed the warmth of the glowing fire"

    similar: beaming, bedazzling, bright, brilliant, candescent, clear, dazzling, effulgent, fulgent, incandescent, lambent, lucent, lucid, luminous, lustrous, radiant, refulgent, sheeny, shining, shiny, splendid
    related: ablaze, ardent, blazing, burning, combusting, fiery, flaming, red-hot, agleam, aglitter, blinding, coruscant, flaring, flashing, flickering, gemmy, glancing, glaring, gleaming, glimmering, glinting, glistening, glistering, glittering, scintillant, scintillating, shimmering, shimmery, sparkling, sunny, twinkling, winking, burnished, polished, shined, superbright, ultrabright
    opposite: dim, dull, lackluster, unbright, unbrilliant
    near: blackened, dark, darkened, darkish, darkling, darksome, dimmed, dusky, gloomy, lightless, murky, obscure, obscured, pitch-black, pitch-dark, somber, sunless, tenebrous, unlit, cloudy, shadowlike, shadowy, shady, gray, leaden, pale, palish

  2. having a healthy reddish skin tone

    "was glowing after spending an afternoon outside splitting firewood"

    similar: blooming, florid, flush, full-blooded, red, rosy, rubicund, ruddy, sanguine
    related: bronzed, brown, suntanned, tanned, bloomy, blowsy, blushing, flushed, pink, pinkish, warm, cherubic
    opposite: ashen, ashy, doughy, livid, lurid, mealy, pale, paled, palish, pallid, pasty, peaked, peaky, sallow, sallowish, wan
    near: waxen, waxy, blanched, white, whitened, anemic, sick, sickly, bloodless, cadaverous, whey-faced, white-faced

  3. having or being an outward sign of good feelings (as of love, confidence, or happiness)

    "her glowing face made it evident she'd been offered the job"

    similar: aglow, beaming, bright, radiant, sunny
    related: brilliant, dazzling, effulgent, gleaming, luminous, refulgent, shining, starry, blithe, blithesome, cheerful, cheery, chipper, gay, gladsome, lightsome, merry, mirthful, optimistic, upbeat, jocund, jovial, laughing, smiling, blooming, rosy, blissful, chuffed (British), delighted, gratified, happy, joyful, joyous, pleased, satisfied, thankful, tickled
    near: blank, flat, listless, stoic, unemotional, black, dark, darkening, depressing, dismal, gloomy, glum, gray, melancholy, sullen, frowning, glaring, glowering, lowering, scowling

  4. having or expressing great depth of feeling

    "glowing declarations of everlasting love"

    similar: ardent, blazing, burning, charged, demonstrative, emotional, fervent, fervid, feverish, fiery, flaming, hot-blooded, impassioned, incandescent, intense, passional, passionate, perfervid, red-hot, religious, superheated, torrid, vehement, warm, warm-blooded, on fire
    related: gushing, gushy, maudlin, mawkish, mushy, saccharine, sappy, schmaltzy, sentimental, sloppy, sugary, histrionic, melodramatic, enthusiastic, gung ho, keen, zealous, enamored, infatuated, obsessed, uninhibited, unreserved, unrestrained, frenzied, orgiastic, overemotional, overexcited, overheated
    opposite: cold, cool, dispassionate, emotionless, impassive, unemotional
    near: detached, dry, impersonal, objective, reserved, undemonstrative

Glowing (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to be on fire especially brightly

    "the coals glowed red-hot"

    similar: blazing, burning, combusting, flaming, going up in flames
    related: catching, enkindling, deflagrating, firing, igniting, kindling, flaring (up), lighting (up), flickering, guttering, wavering, baking, broiling, charring, cooking, melting, roasting, scorching, sweltering, smoldering, sparking, sputtering, beaming, brightening, radiating, beating (down), flashing, glaring, gleaming, glimmering, glinting, glistening, glittering, scintillating, shimmering, shining, sparkling, twinkling

  2. to develop a rosy facial color (as from excitement or embarrassment)

    "when they found out he had won the tournament, his parents glowed with pride"

    similar: blooming, blushing, coloring, crimsoning, flushing, reddening, turning color
    related: incarnadining, rouging, ruddling, abashing, chagrining, discomfiting, disconcerting, embarrassing, fazing, humiliating, mortifying

Related Entry: Glow (verb)

Glow is a different word from Glowing. The synonyms below are for glow, not for glowing.

  1. to be on fire especially brightly

    "the coals glowed red-hot"

    similar: blaze, burn, combust, flame, go up in flames
    related: catch, enkindle, deflagrate, fire, ignite, kindle, flare (up), light (up), flicker, gutter, waver, bake, broil, char, cook, melt, roast, scorch, swelter, smolder, spark, sputter, beam, brighten, radiate, beat (down), flash, glare, gleam, glimmer, glint, glisten, glitter, scintillate, shimmer, shine, sparkle, twinkle

  2. to develop a rosy facial color (as from excitement or embarrassment)

    "when they found out he had won the tournament, his parents glowed with pride"

    similar: bloom, blush, color, crimson, flush, redden, turn color
    related: incarnadine, rouge, ruddle, abash, chagrin, discomfit, disconcert, embarrass, faze, humiliate, mortify

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Glowing

The most common words with a similar meaning to Glowing:

beaming, bedazzling, bright, brilliant, candescent, clear, dazzling, effulgent, fulgent, incandescent, lambent, lucent, lucid, luminous, lustrous, radiant, refulgent, sheeny, shining, shiny, splendid, blooming, florid, flush, full-blooded, red, rosy, rubicund, ruddy, sanguine, aglow, sunny, ardent, blazing, burning, charged, demonstrative, emotional, fervent, fervid

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Glowing

Words with the opposite meaning of Glowing:

dim, dull, lackluster, unbright, unbrilliant, ashen, ashy, doughy, livid, lurid, mealy, pale, paled, palish, pallid, pasty, peaked, peaky, sallow, sallowish, wan, cold, cool, dispassionate, emotionless, impassive, unemotional

Related Words for Glowing

ablaze, agleam, aglitter, blinding, coruscant, flaring, flashing, flickering, gemmy, glancing, glaring, gleaming, glimmering, glinting, glistening, glistering, glittering, scintillant, scintillating, shimmering, shimmery, sparkling, twinkling, winking, burnished, polished, shined, superbright, ultrabright, bronzed

Near Antonyms of Glowing

blackened, dark, darkened, darkish, darkling, darksome, dimmed, dusky, gloomy, lightless, murky, obscure, obscured, pitch-black, pitch-dark, somber, sunless, tenebrous, unlit, cloudy, shadowlike, shadowy, shady, gray, leaden, waxen, waxy, blanched, white, whitened

Word Forms of Glowing

Derived words: glowingly (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Glowing

First known use: before 12th century

Words & Phrases Containing Glowing

in glowing terms

Frequently Asked Questions about Glowing

What does "Glowing" mean?

"Glowing" means producing light, shining with or as if with warmth or heat. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: producing light, shining with or as if with warmth or heat. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Glowing"?

Other words for "Glowing" include beaming, bedazzling, bright, brilliant, candescent, clear, dazzling and effulgent. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Glowing" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Glowing"?

There are 195 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Glowing". Common alternatives include beaming, bedazzling, bright, brilliant, candescent, clear, dazzling, effulgent, fulgent and incandescent.

What is the opposite of "Glowing"?

Antonyms of "Glowing" include dim, dull, lackluster, unbright, unbrilliant, ashen, ashy and doughy. Near antonyms include blackened, dark, darkened and darkish.

How do you use "Glowing" in a sentence?

Examples of "Glowing" in a sentence: "enjoyed the warmth of the glowing fire"; "was glowing after spending an afternoon outside splitting firewood"; "her glowing face made it evident she'd been offered the job".

Is "Glowing" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Glowing" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Glowing"?

"Glowing" is pronounced /ˈglō-iŋ/ and divided into syllables as glow·ing.

What is the origin of the word "Glowing"?

First known use: before 12th century.