illuminate

To shine light on a place or thing so that people can see it.

• A lamp illuminated the doorway.
• The moon illuminates the narrow path.
• Bright screens illuminated their faces in the dark.

Similar words: light, light up

Opposites: darken

Common phrases: illuminate a room, illuminate the sky, illuminate something brightly

To decorate a place or building with lights.

• They illuminate the bridge every winter.
• The town hall was illuminated for the festival.
• Hundreds of tiny bulbs illuminated the garden for the party.

How to use it: illuminate something with something (They illuminated the palace with colored lights.)

Similar words: light up

Common phrases: illuminate a building, illuminate something with lights, illuminate the town

A person believed to have unusually deep spiritual understanding.

• They regarded the teacher as an illuminate.
• The illuminate spoke about spiritual truth.
• His followers described him as a great illuminate.

Similar words: enlightened person

Common phrases: an illuminate, revered illuminate, spiritual illuminate