radiate
radiate — verb
- radiatepresent simple I / you / we / they
- radiateshe / she / it
- radiatedpast simple
- radiating-ing form
1. to send out warmth, brightness, or power outward in every direction from a singl
to send out warmth, brightness, or power outward in every direction from a single source
The sun radiates enough energy in a single hour to power every home on Earth.
transitive: [source] radiates [energy]
Indra held her hands toward the coals, feeling warmth radiate into the chilly air.
intransitive: warmth radiates + direction
The old iron radiator took twenty minutes to heat up and radiate any noticeable warmth.
After sunset, the desert rocks radiated the day's stored heat back into the sky.
A campfire radiated a gentle orange glow across Felipe's face as he roasted marshmallows.
- absorb
to take in energy rather than send it out
用法筆記
Subject can be either the source (The fire radiates heat) or the energy itself (Heat radiates from the fire). Frequently used with 'from' to indicate direction.
常見錯誤
2. to display a particular emotion or quality so strongly that everyone around can
to display a particular emotion or quality so strongly that everyone around can sense it, as though it were heat or light
Lakshmi radiated confidence during her presentation, and the whole room felt it.
radiate + confidence
Even after a twelve-hour shift, Naoko radiated kindness to every patient she met.
radiate + kindness
The new teacher radiated such enthusiasm that even the sleepy students sat up.
Baraka radiated calm as he spoke to the worried parents in the waiting room.
There was a quiet joy radiating from Sophia as she held her newborn daughter.
- conceal
to hide an emotion rather than display it
文法句型
radiate + [emotion/quality]
用法筆記
Almost always positive qualities (confidence, warmth, joy, kindness). Distinguish from sense 1: here nothing physical is sent out — the feeling is metaphorical.
常見錯誤
3. to go outward in many different paths from the same starting place, like wheel s
to go outward in many different paths from the same starting place, like wheel spokes or cracks spreading across glass
Narrow streets radiated from the old stone church at the heart of the village.
[roads/paths] radiate from [central location]
A spiderweb of fine cracks radiated across the windshield after the stone hit it.
collocation: cracks radiate
From the mountaintop, Andrei could see hiking trails radiating into the valleys below.
The pain radiated from Reuben's lower back down through his left leg.
A dozen power lines radiated outward from the substation like metal streamers.
- branch out
suggests tree-like division rather than hub-and-spoke arrangement
- fan out
implies spreading over a wide angle from a narrow start point
- diverge
focuses on paths separating; does not require a single central point
- converge
to come together toward a central point
文法句型
radiate from + [central point]
radiate outward
用法筆記
Subject is typically a plural or collective noun (roads, cracks, paths, lines). Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about physical arrangement and position, not about sending out energy.
radiate — adjective
- radiatepositive
- more radiatecomparative
- most radiatesuperlative
1. arranged like the spokes of a wheel, with parts spreading outward from a shared
arranged like the spokes of a wheel, with parts spreading outward from a shared centre
Under the microscope, the radiate pattern of the sea urchin's shell was clearly visible.
radiate + pattern
Camille sketched the radiate veins of a maple leaf for her botanical journal.
The cathedral's rose window is a famous example of a radiate design in stone.
Starfish belong to a group of marine animals with a radiate body plan.
用法筆記
Technical term used mainly in biology and anatomy. In everyday English, use 'radial' or describe the pattern instead.
2. describes a flower head that has flat, strap-shaped petals arranged around a cen
describes a flower head that has flat, strap-shaped petals arranged around a central disc, as in daisies and sunflowers
The botanist identified the plant as a radiate species by examining its flower head.
radiate + species (botany)
A radiate flower head has a ring of flat petals surrounding a tight central cluster.
The field guide listed dozens of radiate wildflowers native to the mountain meadows.
Jamilah placed a radiate sunflower beside a plain thistle head on the greenhouse workbench.
- composite
broader term for the whole plant family; radiate describes only the petal arrangement
用法筆記
Strictly a botanical classification term. In everyday English, describe the flower as 'daisy-like' instead.
3. having a body form where similar parts repeat around a central axis, like the sl
having a body form where similar parts repeat around a central axis, like the slices of a pie
A jellyfish is a radiate animal: cut through the centre and both sides match.
radiate + animal (zoology)
Aisha sketched a radiate sea anemone in her notebook during the marine lab session.
Unlike a butterfly's two-sided mirror image, a radiate body plan repeats around a point.
Ignacio learned that starfish have a radiate form, with five arms around a central disc.
- radially symmetrical
the modern, more common term for the same concept
- actinomorphic
highly technical botanical equivalent; never used outside specialist literature
- bilateral
having left-right mirror symmetry rather than radial symmetry
用法筆記
Technical zoology term. In everyday English, say 'radially symmetrical' instead. The adjective 'radiate' in this sense is mostly found in older scientific texts.