bright

adjective

\ ˈbrīt

Definition of bright

(Entry 1 of 3)

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

Definition of bright (Entry 2 of 3)

: 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

Bright

biographical name

\ ˈbrīt

Definition of Bright (Entry 3 of 3)

John 1811–1889 English orator and statesman

Other Words from bright Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about bright

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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.

Adjective

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.

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

One bright spot: Microsoft’s own earnings call signaled that Intel’s manufacturing was back on track, now and in the quarters to come. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Intel CEO Swan says chip shortages will never happen again on his watch," 25 Apr. 2019 Win has a quintessentially Danish collection, including bright, floral print dresses and tops and granny-esque crochet vests. — Brooke Bobb, Vogue, "These 7 Shoppable Instagram Accounts Are For True Vintage Fashion Fans," 17 Apr. 2019 Even though Jacob’s birth was a bright spot, memories of their time in the NICU still haunt them. — Glamour, "Having a NICU Baby Is Its Own Trauma," 21 Mar. 2019 Tonight's glittery number is a formal upgrade from Duchess Kate's earlier looks today, which included workout gear and sneakers for outdoor activities with local children, and a bright red Carolina Herrera coat dress. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kate Middleton Sparkles in a Green Missoni Dress in Ireland," 27 Feb. 2019 Elle Mills’ short video about the one-year anniversary of her coming-out video is charming, funny, and a very welcome bright spot in YouTube’s sometimes exhausting ecosystem. — Megan Farokhmanesh, The Verge, "This week’s best from the web," 30 Nov. 2018 The bright spots shouldn’t blind anybody to the challenges this region faces. — Patrick Sisson, Curbed, "The unheralded success of flyover states," 18 Oct. 2018 The ensemble was bright, bold, and definitely not for the faint of heart; a striking It girl-at-Coachella moment. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, "Gigi Hadid, Lover of Tie-Dye, Gives the Groovy Look a Coachella Spin," 14 Apr. 2019 No matter the outcome against the Sixers, the future is suddenly bright in Brooklyn. — Dan Gelston, The Seattle Times, "Bad knee makes Embiid doubtful for 76ers in Game 1 vs. Nets," 12 Apr. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The book also delves into color groups—brights, darks, and so on—and offers keen pairings to guide future painters. — Laura Regensdorf, ELLE Decor, "Color Masters," 20 Aug. 2010 The choice of contrasting brights was an unusual one for the Duchess, as she can normally be seen in a more understated and demure color palette of nudes, black and navy—particularly when on official royal duties. — Lucy Wood, Marie Claire, "Meghan Markle's Bright Purple and Red Look Had a Sweet Connection to Princess Diana," 15 Jan. 2019 There’s plenty of deliciousness in the array of bright, layered tarts, cakes and bite-size confections from Watt Sriboonruang, the chef who founded Rawsome Treats about five years ago. — Florence Fabricant, New York Times, "Drop In for Raw Delectables," 9 Apr. 2018 Reduce the heat and add the peas and cook for one or two minutes, or until bright in color. — Tyler Florence, House Beautiful, "Tyler Florence's Salmon with Morels and Pea Risotto Recipe," 4 Mar. 2011 Her right side, in contrast, is totally glammed out with blue metallic eyeshadow and a high-gloss red lip, and the intense brights add an element of color-blocking to her look. — Zoë Weiner, Teen Vogue, "Kaia Gerber Wore Two Makeup Looks at Once on Her “Vogue Paris” Cover," 18 Sep. 2018 The other two bedrooms are smaller but also feature large windows that make the space bright. — Megan Barber, Curbed, "Midcentury modern on 135 acres asks $1.2M," 29 Nov. 2018 Every bright dot represents a planet Kepler has discovered. — Brian Resnick, Vox, "NASA retired Kepler, a telescope that discovered thousands of worlds beyond our solar system," 1 Nov. 2018 Zara’s version is a classic combination of fall brights, with hunter green, periwinkle blue, deep coral red, and bright gold. — Avery Matera, Teen Vogue, "Zara's Belt Print Tunic Is Already a Fall Favorite," 24 Aug. 2018

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.