bright

adjective

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\ ˈbrīt

Definition of bright

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

5a : 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

noun

plural brights

Definition of bright (Entry 2 of 2)

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

Other Words from bright Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Phrases Containing bright Learn More About bright

Choose the Right Synonym for bright

Adjective

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 Many of us who delight in long hours of bright sunlight, with early sunrises and late sunsets, may wish to regard Saturday with a bit of sadness. — Martin Weil, Washington Post, 7 Aug. 2022 Plus, the room’s future is still bright regardless of what happens in this class, with Reid Carrico, C.J. Hicks and Gabe Powers all in their first or second year on campus. — Stephen Means, cleveland, 6 Aug. 2022 Collins is bright and aware of his storyline entering year two in the NFL: The first-round pick still trying to prove himself. — Kent Somers, The Arizona Republic, 6 Aug. 2022 While Barbie pink is inherently bright and bubbly, in 2022, Barbiecore encompasses all shades from bubble gum to a floral pastel. — Sanah Faroke, Peoplemag, 6 Aug. 2022 However, seeing them in person might be a bit more troublesome because the Moon is set to be so bright this year. — Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 6 Aug. 2022 The non-future of the establishment that offered pool, billiards, even more (the disclosing letters have fallen away) was assured even when its sign was bright with burning bulbs. — Joy Williams, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2022 But instead of dark, vampy hues, the goal is to be bright and bold. — Alfredo Mineo, Allure, 4 Aug. 2022 Before leaving, Keeshae vowed to be back bright and early to make her 25-year-old brother, Deavon, a heaping stack of pancakes. — Dateline Nbc, NBC News, 3 Aug. 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Following it after having left the Mingei International Museum’s future bright. — David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2022 Additionally, the small spaces in complex brush piles can be shelter for many young fish and baitfish to keep the fishery's future bright. — Arkansas Online, 21 June 2021 This fall, Garden & Gun shined a bright on Smoke-A-Holics in a feature on Derrick, his technique and his passion. — Dallas News, 30 Nov. 2020 Executive chef Brian Archibald leads the culinary team of the 5,000-square-foot bright, airy restaurant by Fig & Olive restaurateur Laurent Halasz. — Shaena Montanari, The Arizona Republic, 24 Sep. 2020 The crowd remained enthusiastic on the bright and cloudless 90-degree evening, cheering, clapping and singing throughout the service. — Sophie Carson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2020 More than just a tiny blip on your Instagram feed, the bright, feel-good manicure now has a major celebrity endorsement. — Megan Decker, refinery29.com, 30 Apr. 2020 Wear your neon brights and whites and dance out in color. — Stefania Lugliand Meghan Sorensen, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Jan. 2020 Customers had come in droves to sit beneath the bright suspended lights and dine on fried whiting or catfish strips, shrimp baskets or chicken wings. — Derek M. Norman, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2020 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bright.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for bright

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

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Last Updated

11 Aug 2022

Cite this Entry

“Bright.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bright. Accessed 13 Aug. 2022.

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More Definitions for bright

bright

adjective

\ ˈbrīt

Kids Definition of bright

1 : giving off or filled with much light a bright fire a bright room

2 : very clear or vivid in color a bright red

3 : intelligent sense 1, clever a bright child

4 : cheerful sense 1 a bright smile

5 : likely to be good a bright future

Choose the Right Synonym for bright

bright, radiant, and brilliant mean shining or glowing with light. bright can be used of something that produces or reflects a great amount of light. Bright stars shone overhead. A bright full moon filled the sky. radiant is more often used of something that sends forth its own light. The sun is a radiant body. brilliant is used of something that shines with a sparkling or flashing light. The case was filled with brilliant diamonds.