bright 1 of 2

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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

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bright

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adverb

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bright colors
vivid colors
vibrant colors
brilliant colors
bold colors
loud colors
a bright day
a sunny day
a clear day
a brilliant day
a dazzling day
a sunshiny day
a bright future
a good future
a hopeful future
a brilliant future
a vibrant future
a sunny future
bright students
smart students
intelligent students
sharp students
brilliant students
brainy students

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 Perseids is known to produce bright meteors and even fireballs that will shine through the bright lunar light. Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 1 Aug. 2025 Where Eyes of Wakanda shines brightest is in its animation, and how that animation is used to portray action. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2025 Last summer, Marc Bernal and Marc Casado shone brightest among a travelling squad that featured 16 Barca youth teamers. Pol Ballús, New York Times, 31 July 2025 Owns a favorable athletic profile for a mid-skill with bright green speed and explosion scores. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 20 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for bright
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bright
Adjective
  • Attendees rode in support of and alongside community member Eva Zamora, who is a shining example of how to live your best life with Parkinson’s disease and takes cycle classes at EōS regularly, a news release stated.
    News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Her next shining moment comes when two young sisters enter the hospital.
    Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • From the cast member who clocked my son’s pin collection–and then pointed out the hotel’s own trading station—to our cheerful server at the Lava Pool, who came equipped with sandwich recommendations, everyone was consistently helpful and attentive.
    Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 21 July 2025
  • Olivia Burnette took the lead role as Dorothy Jane Torkelson, providing the show's cheerful voiceover narration.
    Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 20 July 2025
Adjective
  • Operation Bounce House follows Oliver Lewis, a colonist on the planet New Sonora, who leads a simple life on his family ranch, playing with his band and tending to his family's selection of intelligent agriculture bots.
    Rachel Raposas, People.com, 14 July 2025
  • Although not specifically marketed as a pet camera, the Eufy E220 is a budget-friendly indoor home security camera packed with typically more high-end features, including remote pan and tilt, sharp 2K video footage, automatic motion tracking, and intelligent motion and sound detection.
    Cierra Cowan July 11, PC Magazine, 11 July 2025
Adjective
  • The amalgamation of artificial intelligence with quantum computing will transform existing computational paradigms, heralding a promising future, but with risks.
    Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
  • Suarez had another promising chance early in the second half, which barely missed.
    Andre Fernandez, Miami Herald, 31 July 2025
Adjective
  • The risk-benefit ratio of the COVID-19 vaccination remains strongly favorable.
    Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 2 Aug. 2025
  • YouGov/Economist also reported a decline, from 39 percent favorable and 45 percent unfavorable in January to 37 percent favorable and 51 percent unfavorable in July.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • He was named to the Maxwell Award watchlist, which is an award that is given yearly to college football's most outstanding player.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Aug. 2025
  • Court records show Anderson tried to make good and redeem her home, paying the city $18,900 by the end of 2022 -- more than triple her outstanding taxes.
    ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The radiant point of the Southern Delta Aquariids is located within the Aquarius constellation, while the Alpha Capricornids’ is in the Capricornus constellation.
    Solcyré Burga, Time, 29 July 2025
  • Pink Beach has notes of coconut, almond blossom and vanilla; Golden Hour delivers the scent of radiant sunflower, juicy pineapple and fresh coconut; and the Santal Bloom edition radiates notes of rose, jasmine and sandalwood.
    Kristen Philipkoski, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
Adjective
  • Warm, sunny weather optimizes the conditions for this sort of reaction, meaning unhealthy ozone levels are often seen in the summer.
    Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 24 July 2025
  • On Tuesday, July 22, the forecast high is 88 degrees under sunny skies.
    Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 22 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bright.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bright. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.

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