brilliant

adjective

Save Word

bril·liant | \ ˈbril-yənt

Definition of brilliant

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : very bright : glittering a brilliant light

2a : striking, distinctive a brilliant example

b : distinguished by unusual mental keenness or alertness brilliant scientists

3 British : very good : excellent

brilliant

noun

Definition of brilliant (Entry 2 of 2)

: a gem (such as a diamond) cut in a particular form with numerous facets so as to have special brightness or brilliance

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

Keep scrolling for more

Choose the Right Synonym for brilliant

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 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 Will he be remembered as the brilliant, cost-cutting manager who rescued Nissan and built one of mightiest auto alliances in the industry? — Brian Bremner, Fortune, "“Names? You know them.” From Lebanon, Carlos Ghosn Prepares To Settle Scores," 2 Jan. 2020 Despite his distaste for the artifice of L.A., Joe quickly decides that Love is everything that Beck wasn’t: brilliant, family-oriented, and, most of all, real. — Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, "How to Make a Self-Aware Show About a Serial Killer," 30 Dec. 2019 The United Launch Alliance rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and was visible for at least five minutes, its white contrail a brilliant contrast against the dark sky. — Fox News, "Boeing's Starliner off course in orbit after launch debut," 21 Dec. 2019 She was described as generous, charming, persistent, brilliant, inquisitive, adventurous, sometimes stubborn, an incredible puzzle doer and a thesaurus’ worth of other attributes. — Richard A. Marini, ExpressNews.com, "San Antonio’s Charline McCombs remembered," 17 Dec. 2019 But amid an otherwise brilliant performance, Johnson made a misstep, dropping a sure-fire first-down pass on fourth-and-4, giving the ball back to Iowa. — Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, "Jace Frederick: Saturday’s second half proved Gophers’ first loss was easily avoidable," 16 Nov. 2019 In one of them, Lewis shows off his hilariously brilliant dance moves. — Jasmine Gomez, Seventeen, "8 Facts About "Someone You Loved" Singer Lewis Capaldi," 29 Oct. 2019 The highlight, though, was a massive floor-to-ceiling window filled with a cross-hatch of autumn leaves in brilliant shades of red, orange, and yellow. — Laura Delarato, Condé Nast Traveler, "How Renting an Isolated Cabin Forced Me to Appreciate Silence," 11 Dec. 2019 Pelican; 368 pages; £20 A brilliant and accessible tour of Shakespeare’s plays that is also a radical manifesto for how to read and watch his work. — The Economist, "Our books of the year," 7 Dec. 2019

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

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about brilliant

Dictionary Entries near brilliant

Statistics for brilliant

Last Updated

10 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Brilliant.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brilliant. Accessed 17 January 2020.

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for brilliant

brilliant

adjective