radiate
/ˈreɪdieɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈreɪdieɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈrā-dē-ˌāt/ (ame, mw)
radiate — verb
- radiatepresent simple I / you / we / they
- radiateshe / she / it
- radiatedpast simple
- radiating-ing form
1. to send warmth, brightness, or energy outward into the surrounding area, or for
to send warmth, brightness, or energy outward into the surrounding area, or for such warmth and brightness to flow away from a source like a fire, a lamp, or the sun.
The cast-iron stove in Layla's cabin radiated a steady warmth all evening.
transitive: [object] radiates [heat/warmth]
Heat radiated from the bonfire and reached the children sitting on the grass.
intransitive: [heat] radiates from [source]
A pale glow radiated outward as Christopher held up the small oil lamp.
The metal roof radiated the sun's heat back into the kitchen all afternoon.
- absorb
to take in heat or light rather than send it out
文法句型
[thing] radiates [heat/light]
[heat/light] radiates from [thing]
用法筆記
Subject is usually a physical heat or light source (stove, lamp, sun, fire). Used both transitively (the stove radiates heat) and intransitively (heat radiates from the stove); the noun naming the heat or light stays the same in both patterns.
常見錯誤
2. to give off a strong feeling or personal trait — such as joy, calm, or confidenc
to give off a strong feeling or personal trait — such as joy, calm, or confidence — so clearly that other people can sense it just by being nearby; for example, a bride who seems to glow with happiness on her wedding day.
On her wedding day, Adisa radiated a calm joy that spread through the whole hall.
transitive: [person] radiates [emotion]
Confidence radiated from Sofia as she walked to the front of the courtroom.
intransitive: [quality] radiates from [person]
The young teacher radiated warmth, and the children settled down within minutes.
Even after the loss, Dario radiated a quiet kindness toward everyone in the room.
文法句型
[person] radiates [emotion/quality]
[emotion/quality] radiates from [person]
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person (sometimes their face or eyes). Object is usually a positive emotion or quality (joy, calm, confidence, warmth, kindness). Distinguish from sense 1: here the 'giving off' is metaphorical — no actual heat or light is produced.
常見錯誤
3. to extend or spread out in many directions from one central point — used of stre
to extend or spread out in many directions from one central point — used of streets, rays, cracks, pain, or anything that fans out from a middle spot.
Narrow streets radiate from the old market square in the heart of Yan's hometown.
intransitive: [streets] radiate from [central point]
Sharp pain began to radiate down Nellie's left arm during the morning run.
medical context: pain radiates down / through [body part]
Thin cracks radiated outward across the windshield after the stone hit the glass.
Long wooden spokes radiate from the hub of the wagon wheel on the museum floor.
- spread out
more everyday; doesn't require a clear central starting point
- fan out
vivid image of opening like a hand fan; usually horizontal spreading
- branch out
implies splitting into smaller paths along the way, not straight lines
- converge
to come together toward one central point — the opposite direction
文法句型
[lines/roads/pain] radiate from [point]
[lines] radiate outward
用法筆記
Almost always intransitive in this sense, paired with 'from + central point' or 'outward'. Common in geography (streets, roads), medicine (pain), and physics (rays, cracks). Subject is the lines or things that fan out, not the center itself.
常見錯誤
radiate — adjective
- radiatepositive
- more radiatecomparative
- most radiatesuperlative
1. having flower parts that look like rays sticking out from a central disk — as yo
having flower parts that look like rays sticking out from a central disk — as you see on a daisy or sunflower.
Élise's botany teacher pointed to the daisy and called it a classic radiate flower head.
attributive: radiate flower / flower head
Most plants in the daisy family produce radiate blooms with a yellow disk in the middle.
collocation: radiate bloom / flower
Lakshmi's field notebook describes sunflowers as radiate composites with long outer petals.
The botanist explained why some species are radiate while others bear only tiny disk flowers.
- rayed
more transparent and easier to read; common in popular plant guides
- ray-bearing
descriptive technical alternative used in some field guides
- discoid
having only disk flowers, no outer rays — the contrasting flower head type
文法句型
[radiate] + [noun]
用法筆記
Used almost only in botany when describing daisy-like flower heads. Outside this technical field, learners are unlikely to meet this adjective; it sounds odd in everyday writing.
2. having parts arranged equally around a central point, so the shape looks the sam
having parts arranged equally around a central point, so the shape looks the same when turned any direction — like the body of a starfish.
Mira's marine biology professor described starfish as radiate animals with five matching arms.
attributive: radiate animal / body / form
The body of a jellyfish is radiate, with tentacles spaced evenly around its central mouth.
predicative: be radiate
Sea urchins and starfish share a radiate body plan that helps them feed in every direction.
Many ancient sea creatures showed a clearly radiate shape rather than a left-right symmetry.
- radial
much more common in everyday and scientific writing; 'radial symmetry' is the standard phrase
- radially symmetrical
longer but the clearest option in introductory biology texts
- bilateral
having matching left and right sides — the contrasting body plan in most animals
文法句型
[radiate] + [noun]
[noun] + be + radiate
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 is about flower heads (botany), while this sense is about body shapes in biology (starfish, jellyfish, sea urchins). 'Radial' is more common than 'radiate' as the adjective for this idea in general scientific prose.