1
as in bright
in a manner marked by the shining or reflecting of much light
the light glowed brightly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cheerfully
in a cheerful or happy manner
"And how are we today?" the nurse asked brightly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in colorfully
in a manner that is colorful and tends to arouse gaiety
parade marchers carrying brightly painted banners
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 brightly
Few things are cozier than a brightly striped sweater.
—
Odeya Pinkus, InStyle, 12 Jan. 2026
Pink and blue are the main colors featured in this year's brightly colored logo; however, since no teams have pink in their jerseys, the main colors to look for are blue, green, and yellow.
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 10 Jan. 2026
January brings lots of opportunity days, let your career light shine brightly.
—Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 7 Jan. 2026
Nuuk, the territory’s capital city, is emblematic of those towns, featuring brightly colored houses crowed together between a jagged coastline and inland mountains.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 6 Jan. 2026
For now, Stan’s potential entry is more than enough to keep the Bat Signal — and audiences imaginations — brightly lit.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Jan. 2026
In January, the planet Jupiter shines brightly in the evening sky.
—Dean Regas, Cincinnati Enquirer, 30 Dec. 2025
The brightly colored lamps, art, and fabrics add a punch that keeps this room from being stuffy or staid.
—Zoe Gowen, Southern Living, 29 Dec. 2025
Hackman shone just as brightly.
—Lee Cowan, CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
Odeya Pinkus, InStyle, 12 Jan. 2026
Pink and blue are the main colors featured in this year's brightly colored logo; however, since no teams have pink in their jerseys, the main colors to look for are blue, green, and yellow.
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 10 Jan. 2026
January brings lots of opportunity days, let your career light shine brightly.
—Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 7 Jan. 2026
Nuuk, the territory’s capital city, is emblematic of those towns, featuring brightly colored houses crowed together between a jagged coastline and inland mountains.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 6 Jan. 2026
For now, Stan’s potential entry is more than enough to keep the Bat Signal — and audiences imaginations — brightly lit.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Jan. 2026
In January, the planet Jupiter shines brightly in the evening sky.
—Dean Regas, Cincinnati Enquirer, 30 Dec. 2025
The brightly colored lamps, art, and fabrics add a punch that keeps this room from being stuffy or staid.
—Zoe Gowen, Southern Living, 29 Dec. 2025
Hackman shone just as brightly.
—Lee Cowan, CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brightly
Adverb
-
With this introduction of a hapless protagonist not entirely managing to live her best life, Brett Haley‘s film cheerfully speaks both the literary and cinematic language of romantic comedy — and won’t seek to subvert or elevate it in the two hours that follow.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Unable to roll the map out, its creators cheerfully realize that the country itself can serve as its own map.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
4 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Abundance comes from simply being yourself — boldly, colorfully, unapologetically.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
23 Dec. 2025
-
That was colorfully communicated this week by JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon , who said there may be more cockroaches in the industry after the country’s largest bank took sizeable charge-offs in the third quarter for exposure to Tricolor.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
17 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Bogdanovich’s breakthrough came in 1971 with The Last Picture Show, an ensemble drama about growing up in a small Texas town, sensitively told and luminously shot.—
Lili Anolik,
Vanity Fair,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Tarr went on to direct the accomplished The Man From London, which starred Tilda Swinton, before retiring after The Turin Horse, a luminously stark period chamber drama about a father and his adult daughter living alone in the barren Hungarian countryside over the span of about a week.—
Tim Grierson,
Rolling Stone,
6 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
My child attended daycare and summer programs at Pillsbury United Communities center just four blocks away, where a multiracial cohort of kids happily play through the winter, swishing around in bulky jackets and snow pants, bouncing towards their parents.—
Bao Phi,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
-
The pair chatted before Cooper asked DiCaprio to take a photo with him, and DiCaprio happily obliged.—
Rebecca Ford,
Vanity Fair,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brightly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brightly. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
