resplendir
shine brilliantly, be resplendent
verb res-plahn-DEER Rare
Origin: Latin resplendere, to shine back
Usage Note
Resplendir is a literary verb describing a brilliant, dazzling radiance — the sun, a face with joy, or a jewel. The adjective resplendissant (resplendent, radiant) is more commonly encountered in everyday writing, as in un visage resplendissant de bonheur.
Examples
"Le soleil resplendissait sur la mer."
Natural Translation
The sun shone brilliantly over the sea.

Free starter pack
Building your French vocabulary?
Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.
Related Words
Explore French by topic
FrenchNow
6 min read
FrenchNow
7 min read