épanoui

Épanoui is a French adjective meaning blooming, flourishing, or radiant. It is used to describe someone who appears visibly content and self-assured, and it can also describe a thing or place that has developed well or reached a state of fullness. The sense is both literal and figurative: a garden in full bloom can be described as épanoui, just as a person who seems fulfilled in life or spirit can be said to be épanoui.

The word derives from the verb épanouir, formed with the prefix é- and the root panouir, historically linked to the ideas of widening, spreading out, or unfolding. As an adjective, it agrees in gender and number: masculine épanoui, feminine épanouie; plural épanouis (masc.), épanouies (fem.).

Usage notes and forms: épanoui is commonly used with nouns referring to people, faces, or dispositions (for example, un visage épanoui, un esprit épanoui). It can also describe vegetation or settings that have reached a thriving state, though in everyday French it often carries a connotation of happiness or contentment rather than mere physical growth. The related noun épanouissement denotes the act or state of blossoming or flourishing.

See also: épanouir, épanouissement. In translation, épanoui conveys ideas of happiness, fulfillment, and thriving, more than simply being healthy or growing.