brilliant

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adjective bril·liant \ˈbril-yənt\

Definition of brilliant

1 : very bright : glittering a brilliant light
2a : striking, distinctive a brilliant exampleb : distinguished by unusual mental keenness or alertness brilliant scientists
3 British : very good : excellent

brilliantly

adverb

See brilliant defined for English-language learners

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Examples of brilliant in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of brilliant from the Web

NEAR the village of Affile, on a picturesque hillside east of Rome, stands a monument, unveiled in 2012 and built with public funds, to Rodolfo Graziani, one of Mussolini’s most brilliant generals.

— The Economist, "Italy and the Addis Ababa massacre," 20 July 2017
McConnell’s reputation as a brilliant tactician seemed to fail him in a big way with Obamacare repeal.

— lily carollo, Daily Intelligencer, "Why Did Mitch McConnell Fail, and What’s Next for Health Care?," 20 July 2017
Sreedhar Potarazu was brilliant, everyone agrees, an ophthalmic surgeon who started college at age 15 and earned degrees in medicine and business.

— rachel weiner, Washington Post, "Local doctor who scammed hundreds will go to prison for 10 years," 19 July 2017
Lady Macbeth Is a Brilliant, Macabre Period Drama—David Sims delights in William Oldroyd’s debut film that tackles murder and infidelity in rural Victorian England.

— the editors, The Atlantic, "The Atlantic’s Week in Culture," 14 July 2017
Scott, who spends much of his time at his weekend home in Michigan City, has created a brilliant and believable glimpse into family life with characters who seem timeless, despite the story being set on Fourth of July, 1906.

— philip potempa, Post-Tribune, "Goodman's 'Ah, Wilderness' a fun, family romp by Eugene O'Neill," 11 July 2017
David Pecker would be a brilliant choice as CEO of TIME Magazine -- nobody could bring it back like David!

— kate storey, Esquire, "A Brief History of Donald Trump's Unsettling Relationship with the National Enquirer," 30 June 2017
T2: Trainspotting R Danny Boyle directs a sequel to the brilliant cult classic as Mark comes back to Scotland and joins Spud, Sick Boy, and Begbie.

— guy hanford, Ramona Sentinel, "Flickers: ‘Despicable Me 3’ opens Friday," 29 June 2017
But these are people that are great, brilliant business minds.

— Washington Post, "AP FACT CHECK: Trump team lacks a straight story on Russia," 26 June 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of brilliant

French brillant, present participle of briller to shine, from Italian brillare

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1681

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of brilliant

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.

brilliant

noun bril·liant

Definition of brilliant

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

Examples of brilliant in a Sentence

the diamond cutter set out an array of brilliants to show the various ways the diamond could be cut

Recent Examples of brilliant from the Web

Brilliant and intriguing, a student of architecture, she’s pursued by a number of suitors.

— bharti kirchner, The Seattle Times, "Lives in India intersect in Arundhati Roy’s long-awaited novel," 14 June 2017
He and Fox News inspired documentary films and several books with a critical take on the man and his network, including 2014’s The Loudest Voice in the Room: How the Brilliant, Bombastic Roger Ailes Built Fox News — and Divided a Country.

— paul bond, Billboard, "Roger Ailes, Polarizing Ex-Fox News Chief, Dies at 77," 18 May 2017