1
as in bright
in a manner marked by the shining or reflecting of much light
the light glowed brightly
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of brightly
Behind them were two rows of brightly colored kayaks emerging from the low-lying fog.
—
Debra Utacia Krol, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025
Zones 3-9 The brightly colored flowers of Oriental poppies (Papaver orientale), with their delicate, papery petals, bloom in mid to late spring, sometimes until early summer.
—Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Sep. 2025
And in this part of his life, passion burns brightly.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2025
Her star shined brightly but briefly.
—Jeremy Helligar, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Moussa Diaby had a single season in claret and blue, which burned brightly early on but faded fast, before leaving.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Three planets — Venus, Jupiter and Saturn — will shine brightly to the naked eye, while Mercury will make a brief appearance close to the eastern horizon just before sunrise.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Recently, the Hubble Space Telescope captured a before-and-after image of a star exploding brightly.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Smith added that the brightly colored walkway was also intended to help keep visitors to the memorial safe.
—Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Aug. 2025
Debra Utacia Krol, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025
Zones 3-9 The brightly colored flowers of Oriental poppies (Papaver orientale), with their delicate, papery petals, bloom in mid to late spring, sometimes until early summer.
—Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Sep. 2025
And in this part of his life, passion burns brightly.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2025
Her star shined brightly but briefly.
—Jeremy Helligar, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Moussa Diaby had a single season in claret and blue, which burned brightly early on but faded fast, before leaving.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Three planets — Venus, Jupiter and Saturn — will shine brightly to the naked eye, while Mercury will make a brief appearance close to the eastern horizon just before sunrise.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Recently, the Hubble Space Telescope captured a before-and-after image of a star exploding brightly.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Smith added that the brightly colored walkway was also intended to help keep visitors to the memorial safe.
—Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brightly
Adverb
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In the film, Maddie cheerfully navigates the politics of her jealous co-worker (Claudia O’Doherty), exacting boss (Connor O’Malley) and lesbian BFF (Berlant) at the sunny studios of Gourmaybe.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
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The song cheerfully encourages kids to use the potty at pivotal times throughout the day—namely before heading to school and before climbing in bed at the end of the day.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
27 Aug. 2025
Adverb
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Shot in a colorfully naturalistic style by Irina Lubtchansky (My Golden Days), the film occasionally switches to what looks like Super 8mm, capturing the action more intimately and playfully.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Aug. 2025
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One expert, reflecting on personal experience, put it more colorfully.—
George Calhoun,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Adverb
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The Sound Of Music turns 60 this year – and Disney has happily opted to celebrate the occasion by remastering the film in 4K resolution and high dynamic range for a worldwide re-release at the cinema and on 4K Blu-ray disc.—
John Archer,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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With the family’s four dogs barking in the background, the actor, 43, happily leans into any disruptions.—
Julie Jordan,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brightly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brightly. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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