1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

bright 1 of 2

adjective

ˈbrīt How to pronounce bright (audio)
Definition of brightnext
1
as in shining
giving off or reflecting much light in the desert the sun was so bright that it hurt my eyes the moon is bright tonight

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in illuminated
filled with much light the display windows of department stores are especially bright at Christmastime

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in cheerful
having or showing a good mood or disposition always walks into work with a bright smile on his face

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in intelligent
having or showing quickness of mind a company that is always looking for bright, ambitious college graduates

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in promising
having qualities which inspire hope predicted a bright future for the young math whiz

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in favorable
pointing toward a happy outcome all the signs are bright right now for an economic boom

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in cheering
serving to lift one's spirits a bright and beautiful morning to begin planting our garden

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in outstanding
standing above others in rank, importance, or achievement a bright new star on the operatic scene

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
9
as in radiant
having or being an outward sign of good feelings (as of love, confidence, or happiness) a room full of summer interns with bright, eager faces

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
10
as in sunny
not stormy or cloudy we'll have a picnic on the next bright day

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bright

2 of 2

adverb

as in brightly
in a manner marked by the shining or reflecting of much light the storm passed, and once again the sun shone bright

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective bright differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of bright are brilliant, luminous, lustrous, and radiant. While all these words mean "shining or glowing with light," bright implies emitting or reflecting a high degree of light.

When is brilliant a more appropriate choice than bright?

While the synonyms brilliant and bright are close in meaning, brilliant implies intense often sparkling brightness.

In what contexts can luminous take the place of bright?

While in some cases nearly identical to bright, luminous implies emission of steady, suffused, glowing light by reflection or in surrounding darkness.

When would lustrous be a good substitute for bright?

The meanings of lustrous and bright largely overlap; however, lustrous stresses an even, rich light from a surface that reflects brightly without glittering.

When might radiant be a better fit than bright?

Although the words radiant and bright have much in common, radiant stresses the emission or seeming emission of rays of light.

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bright
Adjective
The wet conditions this weekend may have a bright side, according to Farrugia. — David Sharos, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026 Cass’s work frequently featured bright hues, in particular sunshine yellow, orange, pink and blue. — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 18 Sep. 2026 Behind the bright lights and roaring crowds at Atlanta Dream games, players can step into a quieter space for prayer, encouragement, and support. — Christopher Harris, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026 Granny Smith Granny Smith apples are known for their bright green color and tart yet sweet taste. — Jillian Kubala, HEALTH, 18 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bright
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bright
  1. shining
  2. illuminated
  3. cheerful
  4. intelligent
  5. promising
  6. favorable
  7. outstanding
  8. radiant
Adjective
  • At a time of so much partisanship in Congress, especially related to health care, breakthrough legislation is a shining example of how commonsense policies that support patient care and innovation can achieve broad support.
    — Josh Makower, STAT, 16 Mar. 2026
  • Those memories will remain some of the most shining and unforgettable moments of my life.
    — Jeff Benjamin, Forbes.com, 12 Mar. 2026
Definition of shining
Adjective
  • Greatest brilliancy marks the sweet spot between the two, when Venus' apparent size and shrinking phase combine to give us the greatest apparent area of illuminated Venus in our sky.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Drivers can trigger the car's full performance via a dedicated illuminated red GTI button on the steering wheel.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of illuminated
Adjective
  • Peter Max, whose cheerful graphic images helped define 1960s hippie and Summer of Love culture, has died at age 88, reports The New York Times.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 17 Sep. 2026
  • But poll respondents weren’t particularly cheerful about the ideas of Democrats either, or of Democratic Socialists, who have been much in the news of late.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of cheerful
Adjective
  • Anthropic this week detailed how its model Claude is helping the company to develop the next, more intelligent version of itself.
    — Kaitlyn Huamani, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The suspect was described by Palencia as an intelligent student and active taekwondo practitioner.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of intelligent
Adjective
  • Running back Tyrone Tracy’s fumble in the second quarter was no different than the others, except that it was recovered by Dallas to kill a promising drive.
    — Dan Duggan, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • ZipRecruiter notes that employers using traditional methods can spend about a week just sorting through applications before reaching promising candidates.
    — Audrey Payne, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of promising
Adjective
  • In particular, this bill would direct the nonpartisan agency to study the topic of overpayments to Medicare Advantage plans in a manner that’s more favorable to insurers.
    — John Wilkerson, STAT, 16 Sep. 2026
  • This week has brought several recent polls showing Democrats with a favorable environment heading into November.
    — Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of favorable
Adjective
  • Just like a Michelin star for a restaurant, a Michelin key identifies the most outstanding hotels in the country.
    — Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Fortunately for those who are tired of the political fireworks and simply want to enjoy outstanding presentations on the Declaration of Independence and the uniqueness of the American experiment, several current exhibitions offer precisely that.
    — Michael Auslin, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of outstanding
Adjective
  • Hyaluronic acid hydrates and plumps the delicate undereye area, caffeine visibly reduces puffiness, and soothing aloe leaf and antioxidant-rich green tea keep skin looking calm, smooth, and radiant.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Kate Hudson, Charlize Theron, and Hannah Waddingham have all used glow-boosting masks and wands, and their radiant skin definitely caught our attention.
    — Jacqueline Tempera, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of radiant

Browse Nearby Words

brigantines
bright
brighten
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bright.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bright. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nemesis

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All