French word

luire

Pronunciation

IPA/lɥiʁ/

Meaning

  • verbshine

Example

La lune luit dans le ciel.

The moon shines in the sky.

Illustration for luire (shine)

More examples

Ses chaussures luisaient après le cirage.

Her shoes were shining after polishing.

Core concept

A faint, diffuse glow rests on a surface or shines softly from a distant object.

Common phrases

  • luire sous la pluie

    shine in the rain

  • luire après le cirage

    shine after polishing

  • luire de propreté

    shine with cleanliness

Similar words

briller: To shine brightly and stand out clearly.
refléter: To reflect light and appear to shine.

Definition in French

Indique qu'une chose paraît éclairée par une faible lumière diffuse ou qu'elle émet une faible lueur.

Word origin

Luire is inherited from Latin lucēre through Old French, with the basic sense of giving off light preserved in modern French.

Usage tips

  • Luire is mainly used for quiet, atmospheric light from things such as the moon, while briller more often describes strong or sparkling brightness.

Other meanings

  • sparkleverb

Opposites

  • s'éteindrego outverb
  • obscurcirdarkenverb

Related words

  • luisantshinyadjective

Word lists with this word