To radiate means to spread outward from a central point, like rays spreading from the sun. When heat radiates from a campfire, it moves outward in all directions, warming everyone sitting around it. Light radiates from a lamp, reaching into the corners of a room.

When you look at a dandelion gone to seed, you can see how its white fluff radiates in all directions from the center.

Radiating doesn't only apply to physical things like heat and light. Emotions and qualities can radiate too. When someone radiates confidence, you can sense it in how they carry themselves, speak, and interact with others. A teacher might radiate enthusiasm for a subject, making students feel excited about learning. Happiness can radiate from a person's face, spreading to others.

The word suggests something powerful moving from inside to outside. Pain can radiate from an injury to other parts of the body. Roads radiate from a city center like spokes from a hub. In each case, something begins at one point and spreads outward, reaching farther and farther from where it started.