illumes

verb

present tense third-person singular of illume
1
as in inspires
to provide (someone) with moral or spiritual understanding a favorite line of an Eastern Church hymn reads, "through fast-closed doors Thou camest Thy Disciples to illume"

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in illumines
to supply with light during the vigil service the church's Gothic interior was illumed by the light of hundreds of tapers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for illumes
  1. inspires
  2. illuminates
  3. educates
  4. lights
Verb
  • Eating it inspires an appreciation for the seamless integration of Mexican and Middle Eastern influences, melding to a state of emphatic brilliance in each bite.
    — The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026
  • This is one of the BEST ways to recreate the communal devotion that the Premier League inspires.
    — Matt Piper, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of inspires
Verb
  • Koopala’s rechargeable, stick-on task light illuminates tricky spots around the home that could use extra light without the hassle of cords or hardwiring.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The remainder of the moon will take on a reddish-brown hue because sunlight bends around Earth and illuminates the lunar surface indirectly.
    — Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of illuminates
Verb
  • None of these institutions educates hundreds of thousands of students.
    — Scott White, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe.
    — Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 14 July 2026
Definition of educates
Verb
  • The analysis asserts that spark that lights the fire sale probably won’t emerge from European markets, but that’s not saying much.
    — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Mereu’s sure hand with his actors is a saving grace, with Perrone and Maenza particularly well-cast, and DP Francesco Piras lights them to perfection while being in perfect synch with the director’s reverence for the natural world.
    — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of lights
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

illumed
illumes
illuminant
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Illumes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illumes. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gumption

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All