1
as in dazzling
giving off or reflecting much light
a brilliant chandelier graces the hotel lobby
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clever
having or showing quickness of mind
a brilliant boy who left for college at the age of 16
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in prominent
likely to attract attention
a brilliant example of government waste
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in gem
a usually valuable stone cut and polished for ornament
the diamond cutter set out an array of brilliants to show the various ways the diamond could be cut
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of brilliant
Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Apr. 2026
Dave Malloy’s score is versatile, brilliant and grows more relevant with each passing year.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 2 Apr. 2026
Muzarabani then picked up two key wickets of Kishan and Sharma in the ninth over that included Varun’s brilliant low diving catch at deep mid-wicket to dismiss Sharma.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
These students are Zeke, a terrific football player often in trouble; Dontell, who is brilliant but rowdy; and Truth, who is personable and working with his criminal uncle.
—Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for brilliant
Adjective
The three women are all brilliant mathematicians who embark on different career paths.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Apr. 2026
Dave Malloy’s score is versatile, brilliant and grows more relevant with each passing year.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 2 Apr. 2026
Muzarabani then picked up two key wickets of Kishan and Sharma in the ninth over that included Varun’s brilliant low diving catch at deep mid-wicket to dismiss Sharma.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
These students are Zeke, a terrific football player often in trouble; Dontell, who is brilliant but rowdy; and Truth, who is personable and working with his criminal uncle.
—Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for brilliant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brilliant
Adjective
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Early’s dazzling season debut was nearly pristine.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Hartford Courant,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Yaxel Lendeborg had 23 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in a dazzling all-around performance, and Michigan beat Alabama 90-77 on Friday night to advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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It’s served alongside rice cooked with mushrooms and herbs, a clever mashup of Malaysian nasi ulam and Haitian djon djon.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
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Meghan Blanco, a former federal prosecutor and veteran defense attorney, suggested Gee’s inaction with Essayli might be a clever act of resistance.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Strangely, as social media has moved from the text of status updates and tweets to short video, verbal commentary has actually grown more prominent and more viral.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Piker is one of the few prominent left-wing voices operating in digital spaces where young men congregate.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Cronenworth doesn’t attribute his gems to coincidence.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
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Grant Holmes’ gem Friday at Chase Field in a 2-0 Braves’ win over the Diamondbacks lengthened the team’s eight-game stretch of solid pitching to start the year.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Depending on the light, the surface seems to shift, at times appearing almost luminous, at others dissolving into shadow.—
Olga Garcia-Mayoral,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
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The northern lights are a luminous glow seen around the magnetic poles of the Northern and Southern hemispheres, according to the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Flexible loads, intelligent storage, and advanced demand coordination should be treated as capacity resources in grid planning, with regulatory frameworks updated accordingly.—
Brian Barlow,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
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This innovation signals a shift toward more intelligent, cooperative, and autonomous forms of warfare.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Use the dome light and flashers to make your vehicle more noticeable.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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Add in limited ventilation and the fact that windows usually can’t be opened freely, and the effects can quickly become noticeable.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Those jewels are still missing.—
Nick Mafi,
Architectural Digest,
2 Apr. 2026
-
After watching the catch of the day come in, head to the neighboring Umi no Ichi food and shopping hall to grab a bowl of sea-to-table kaisendon—slices of sashimi, jewel-like roe, and other oceanic delights, served atop a bed of rice.—
Zoe Baillargeon,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brilliant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brilliant. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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