splendente
/splenˈdɛn.te/
The Italian word for shining is splendente.
splendente is an adjective used to describe something that is emitting light. Depending on the specific nuance you want to convey, you might also use the synonym risplendente to mean bright or abbagliante to mean dazzling.
Meaning: emitting light (adj)
Which one should you use?
The word Lucente is a formal way to express shining, implying luminosity or radiance. In contrast, if you want to describe something that lacks light, you can use the antonyms spento (dull), opaco (dim) or oscurato (darkened).
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables, with the stress on the second syllable. The IPA is /splenˈdɛn.te/.
Did you know?
- The term opaco, the antonym of shining, is also used in Italian to describe a person who is being uncommunicative or difficult to understand.
- The antonym spento literally means 'turned off' or 'extinguished', showing that Italians view a lack of shine as a loss of energy.
- The word lucente is the root of the English word 'lucent', though 'lucent' is rare in English while lucente is a standard Italian term for radiance.
Examples in context
- La luna è brillante stasera.The moon is shining brightly tonight.
- Il sole splende oggi!The sun is shining today!
- I diamanti luccicano al sole.The diamonds sparkle in the sun.
- Il fiume è scintillante sotto il sole.The river is shining under the sun.
- I riflessi lucenti del mare sono stupendi.The shining reflections of the sea are beautiful.
- La stella brillava intensamente nel cieloThe star was shining brightly in the sky
- La luce della lampada era lucenteThe light of the lamp was shining
- Il fuoco ardeva splendenteThe fire was shining brightly
- Guarda quella stella splendente.Look at that shining star.
Example conversation
Giulia and Alessandro are looking at the night sky from a balcony.
- GiuliaVedi quella luce splendente in cielo?Do you see that shining light in the sky?
- AlessandroSì, è una stella molto bella.Yes, it is a very beautiful star.
- GiuliaSembra quasi un diamante splendente.It almost looks like a shining diamond.
- AlessandroHai ragione, è davvero stupenda.You are right, it is truly wonderful.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry splendente, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
