bright implies emitting or reflecting a high degree of light.
brilliant implies intense often sparkling brightness.
radiant stresses the emission or seeming emission of rays of light.
luminous implies emission of steady, suffused, glowing light by reflection or in surrounding darkness.
lustrous stresses an even, rich light from a surface that reflects brightly without glittering.
Examples of brilliant in a Sentence
Adjective
a brilliant star in the sky
a store decorated in brilliant colors
He pitched a brilliant game.
She gave a brilliant performance.
She has a brilliant mind. Noun
the diamond cutter set out an array of brilliants to show the various ways the diamond could be cut
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Meanwhile, the brilliant $10 Riemot Luggage Travel Cup Holder allows for hands-free travel while hurrying through the airport, and even the Wxm Wallet with AirTag Wallet has been discounted to just $21 with a special on-site coupon.—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 9 June 2024 What seems to be a fanciful digression is really Fantasmas in miniature: an oddball hero’s journey that illustrates the cultural value of the brilliant bohemian.—Judy Berman, TIME, 7 June 2024 So even if the math adds up for a brilliant victory by the right on Sunday, the total will most likely be less than the sum of its parts.—Eli Joseph, Fortune Europe, 5 June 2024 His prix-fixe menu at this minimal space with a beautiful big tiled bar inside Hotel Toranomon Hills, is an East-meets-West approach that makes brilliant use of Japanese ingredients, especially seafood.—Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for brilliant
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'brilliant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
French brillant, present participle of briller to shine, from Italian brillare
Noun
borrowed from French brillant, noun derivative of brillantbrilliant entry 1
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