resplendent
- Impressively bright, colorful, or splendid in appearance; dazzlingly beautiful.
In a sentence
- The bride looked resplendent in her embroidered gown as she walked down the aisle.
- The palace was resplendent with gold leaf and rare marble from across the empire.
Usage note. 'Resplendent' is best reserved for descriptions of visual grandeur and brilliance; using it for abstract qualities (e.g., a resplendent idea) can sound overwrought.
Where it comes from
English resplendent — “dazzlingly bright, splendid” · entered English 15th c.
From Latin 'resplendere', meaning 'to shine brightly' or 'to glitter', composed of the prefix 're-' (expressing intensity) and 'splendere' meaning 'to shine'. The present participle 'resplendeus' passed into English in the 15th century. It is related to 'splendid' and 'splendor', all sharing the Latin root for shining brilliance (source: Oxford, Etymonline).