What does luminous mean?
Word: Luminous
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Luminous means giving out light or shining brightly, especially in the dark.
Synonyms: glowing, shining, bright
Antonyms: dark
How do you spell luminous?
Syllables: lu - mi - nous
Tricky part: The ending is ous, though you hear only us: luminus is the usual slip.
Watch out for: luminus, luminious
Memory tip: Luminous and famous share the same o-u-s ending, though you only hear us.
Luminous in a sentence
Example 1: The luminous stars on my bedroom ceiling glow after the lights go out.
Example 2: We saw luminous jellyfish near the beach in Australia.
Example 3: Her luminous smile lit up the whole stage.
Fun Fact
Fireflies are luminous because a chemical reaction in their bodies makes light while giving off almost no heat.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
On the school trip to the planetarium, we saw a lumenous model of the solar system.
a) model
b) lumenous
c) planetarium
d) system
Show answer
b) lumenous. The vowel after lum is i, as in the light word illuminate.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word:
luminous
a) dazzling
b) dim
c) radiant
d) gleaming
Show answer
b) dim. Something dim gives very little light, unlike a luminous thing.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
sumiolun
a) luminous
b) numerous
c) illusion
d) ominous
Show answer
a) luminous. Count the u's: only luminous and numerous have two, and numerous needs an e and an r.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) luminous
b) brillient
c) glittering
d) sparkling
Show answer
b) brillient. Brilliant ends in ant.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which object is luminous rather than just reflecting light?
a) a white wall
b) a polished mirror
c) a burning candle
d) the Moon at night
Show answer
c) a burning candle
2. Luminous paint on a watch lets you ____.
a) keep the glass free of dust
b) read the time in the dark
c) hear the alarm more clearly
d) make the hands move faster
Show answer
b) read the time in the dark
