1
2
: illustrious, glorious
brightest star of the opera
3
4
: of high saturation or lightness
bright colors
5
b
: intelligent, clever
a bright idea
bright children
6
: auspicious, promising
bright prospects for the future
bright
adverb
brightly
adverb
plural brights
1
: a color of high saturation : a bright (see bright entry 1 sense 4) color
—usually used in plural
rich earth tones and crisp brights—
Patricia Peterson
Patricia Peterson2
brights plural
: clothing that is brightly colored
Follow these steps and you can wash your dark clothes with the same laundry detergent you use for your whites and brights.—Mary Hunt
Mary Hunt3
brights plural
: high beams
It didn't help that the car behind her, which had its brights on, seemed intent on tailgating her all the way to Fells Point.—Laura Lippman
Laura Lippman
Synonyms
Examples of bright in a Sentence
Adjective
The lighting was too bright.
a bright room with lots of windows
It was a bright, sunny day.
The room was decorated in bright colors.
Recent Examples on the WebElle Turner, Glamour, 2 Apr. 2024
The shoe comes in the brightest of greens, hottest of pinks, deepest of purples, and every shade in the pastel palette, but the white is an all-time favorite.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 2 Apr. 2024
My first experience with 3M was seeing its bright red logo on floppy disks used in classrooms with Apple IIe computers in the late 1980s and early ’90s.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Apr. 2024
The future is bright — quite literally — for understanding some of the universe’s most extreme physics.
—Isaac Schultz / Gizmodo, Quartz, 2 Apr. 2024
This year, the stage will be even brighter in Philadelphia, as the WWE celebrates the 40th anniversary of WrestleMania.
—Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 2 Apr. 2024
Mazur/Getty Images A very pretty pale blonde hue with bright white tones, Chantilly cream is a color that Cunningham predicts will be huge for those wanting to go light and bright with their hair.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 1 Apr. 2024
Still, because there are far more pixels than LEDs, some light bloom (or the bleeding of light from very bright to very dark areas along highly contrasting edges) is possible.
—PCMAG, 1 Apr. 2024
Local librarians take a somewhat brighter view, noting that while circulation is still down since the pandemic, digital loans of popular series such as Dogman, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol remain strong.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2024
K. Thor Jensen, PCMAG, 21 Mar. 2024
Triston the Chick 10-inch Squishmallow Triston the Chick is a happy bright yellow with a light yellow belly and extra-fuzzy wings.
—Phoebe Sklansky, Parents, 13 Mar. 2024
Sunshine yellow and neon brights are out, a warm palette of reds, plum and berry tones–colors typically associated with the autumn months–is in.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 5 Sep. 2023
They're made from a cotton-blend fabric with a fleece interior and come in many colors, with options ranging from classic black and heather gray to brights and pastels in shades of pink, blue, and green.
—Nicola Fumo, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2023
The shape is the same — long, pointy stilettos — but Fox typically chooses dark colors or metallics, not a summery bright white like this one.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 25 July 2023
It’s made from smooth leather and comes in 10 colors including classics like black and ivory, plus neon brights, metallics, and snakeskin.
—Nicola Fumo, Peoplemag, 8 Aug. 2023
The blanket comes in 27 colors, including brights and neutrals, and is tasseled on both sides.
—Rachel Ahrnsen, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 July 2023
If pink isn't their shade, there's 17 total color options: everything from neutrals like gray, white and black to brights like purple, blue and green.
—Alyssa Gautieri, Good Housekeeping, 24 July 2023
Adjective
As the name suggests, the trend taps into a bubblegum pink color palette, taking things a little brighter than French pinks.
—Elle Turner, Glamour, 2 Apr. 2024
The shoe comes in the brightest of greens, hottest of pinks, deepest of purples, and every shade in the pastel palette, but the white is an all-time favorite.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 2 Apr. 2024
My first experience with 3M was seeing its bright red logo on floppy disks used in classrooms with Apple IIe computers in the late 1980s and early ’90s.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Apr. 2024
The future is bright — quite literally — for understanding some of the universe’s most extreme physics.
—Isaac Schultz / Gizmodo, Quartz, 2 Apr. 2024
This year, the stage will be even brighter in Philadelphia, as the WWE celebrates the 40th anniversary of WrestleMania.
—Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 2 Apr. 2024
Mazur/Getty Images A very pretty pale blonde hue with bright white tones, Chantilly cream is a color that Cunningham predicts will be huge for those wanting to go light and bright with their hair.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 1 Apr. 2024
Still, because there are far more pixels than LEDs, some light bloom (or the bleeding of light from very bright to very dark areas along highly contrasting edges) is possible.
—PCMAG, 1 Apr. 2024
Local librarians take a somewhat brighter view, noting that while circulation is still down since the pandemic, digital loans of popular series such as Dogman, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol remain strong.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2024
Noun
Great sound quality with clear, deep bass and pure brights, great in-ear comfort and long battery life make these some of the best out there, especially at 24% off.
Don't forget to check out the rest of the deals at Walmart's Spring Savings Week.
—K. Thor Jensen, PCMAG, 21 Mar. 2024
Triston the Chick 10-inch Squishmallow Triston the Chick is a happy bright yellow with a light yellow belly and extra-fuzzy wings.
—Phoebe Sklansky, Parents, 13 Mar. 2024
Sunshine yellow and neon brights are out, a warm palette of reds, plum and berry tones–colors typically associated with the autumn months–is in.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 5 Sep. 2023
They're made from a cotton-blend fabric with a fleece interior and come in many colors, with options ranging from classic black and heather gray to brights and pastels in shades of pink, blue, and green.
—Nicola Fumo, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2023
The shape is the same — long, pointy stilettos — but Fox typically chooses dark colors or metallics, not a summery bright white like this one.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 25 July 2023
It’s made from smooth leather and comes in 10 colors including classics like black and ivory, plus neon brights, metallics, and snakeskin.
—Nicola Fumo, Peoplemag, 8 Aug. 2023
The blanket comes in 27 colors, including brights and neutrals, and is tasseled on both sides.
—Rachel Ahrnsen, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 July 2023
If pink isn't their shade, there's 17 total color options: everything from neutrals like gray, white and black to brights like purple, blue and green.
—Alyssa Gautieri, Good Housekeeping, 24 July 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bright.' 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
Middle English, from Old English beorht; akin to Old High German beraht bright, Sanskrit bhrājate it shines
Noun
noun derivative of bright entry 1
First Known Use
Adjective
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Noun
1920, in the meaning defined at sense 3
Time Traveler
The first known use of bright was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing bright
Dictionary Entries Near bright
Cite this Entry
“Bright.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bright. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
bright
adjectiveˈbrīt
1
: giving off or filled with much light
2
: very clear or vivid in color
3
: intelligent sense 1b, clever
a bright child
a bright idea
4
: cheerful sense 1
a bright smile
5
: full of promise
a bright future
bright
adverb
brightly
adverb
brightness
noun
Biographical Definition
More from Merriam-Webster on bright
Nglish: Translation of bright for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of bright for Arabic Speakers
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