bright

1 of 2

adjective

ˈbrīt 

1

a

: radiating or reflecting light : shining, sparkling

bright lights

bright eyes

b

: sunny

a bright day

also : radiant with happiness

bright smiling faces

bright moments

2

: illustrious, glorious

brightest star of the opera

3

: beautiful

4

: of high saturation or lightness

bright colors

5

a

: lively, cheerful

be bright and jovial among your guests

—William Shakespeare

b

: intelligent, clever

a bright idea

bright children

6

: auspicious, promising

bright prospects for the future

bright adverb

brightly adverb

bright

2 of 2

noun

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

2

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

3

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

Synonyms

Adjective

• shining
• luminous
• dazzling
• glowing
• shiny
• radiant
• brilliant
• gleaming

Choose the Right Synonym for bright

bright, brilliant, radiant, luminous, lustrous mean shining or glowing with light.

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 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 Web

Adjective

Avoid placing a bat house near bright lights. —Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 24 Oct. 2025

The result is a bright, bold gastronomic journey that doesn’t have to end after visiting the state. —Stacey Zable, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025

Noun

Load 3 - Mixed Colors Throw in your lights and brights for the final load. —Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 26 Aug. 2025

Gold in particular has been prominent on red carpets and summer events, pairing easily with brights, neutrals and jewel tones. —Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 10 Aug. 2025

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

Phrases Containing bright

• bright and early
• bright-eyed and bushy-tailed
• bright-line
• bright spark
• bright spot
• look on the bright side
• on the bright side

Rhymes for bright

• bight
• bite
• blight
• byte
• cite
• dight
• fight
• fite
• flight
• fright
• height
• hight

Kids Definition

bright

adjective

ˈbrīt

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

Bright

biographical name

ˈbrīt 

John 1811–1889 English orator and statesman