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
Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Half a century on, Watkins’ brilliant dialogue still circulates online, occasionally going viral to this day.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 30 Jan. 2026
But at the same moment, in the same place, there was another female director doing brilliant humanistic work.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 30 Jan. 2026
Here are six of her most brilliant efforts.
—Julie Hinds, Freep.com, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for brilliant
Adjective
Enrigue has a long career of writing brilliant and gripping literary accounts of Mexico’s history with a daring flair.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Half a century on, Watkins’ brilliant dialogue still circulates online, occasionally going viral to this day.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 30 Jan. 2026
But at the same moment, in the same place, there was another female director doing brilliant humanistic work.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 30 Jan. 2026
Here are six of her most brilliant efforts.
—Julie Hinds, Freep.com, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for brilliant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brilliant
Adjective
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Grammys coverage, which includes a full list of all the winners, the dazzling red carpet looks and more.—
McKinley Franklin,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Feb. 2026
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Some Tauruses might find themselves in the process of moving, changing their living space up or even hosting a dazzling home event.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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On the upside, brilliant solutions or clever ideas might suddenly occur to you.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
31 Jan. 2026
-
NearTap is another clever feature that lets the user adjust the volume level using simple taps of the finger in front of the ear.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Healthcare Failures That Put Lives at Risk Healthcare has emerged as an increasingly prominent concern in recent reports.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Medical imaging, including radiology — X-rays, mammograms, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound — is a prominent area for AI diagnostic tools.—
Peter Shen,
Baltimore Sun,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Former Leafs director of amateur scouting Wes Clark and current director Mark Leach, with the Leafs scouts, have unearthed some relative gems in four consecutive drafts.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
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The list includes affordable gems from premium brands, like a festive red-and-pink Kate Spade oven mitt set.—
Melanie Fincher,
Southern Living,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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While Tabouret’s work cloaks you in luminous hues, Jospin uses color much more sparingly.—
Stephanie Sporn,
Vogue,
27 Jan. 2026
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As for beauty, Sweeney wore glowy makeup, complete with luminous skin, rosy cheeks, and smoky eyeshadow.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Its intelligent navigation helps ensure effective coverage, while the real-time self-cleaning system helps maintain a cleaner roller with each pass.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
1 Feb. 2026
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According to Charles Darwin, survival belongs not to the strongest species, nor the most intelligent, but the one most adaptable to change.—
Karim Sadjadpour,
The Atlantic,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
That contrast is becoming more noticeable as their professional paths diverge.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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But there’s been a noticeable uptick in the team’s willingness to hit their blue-collar big man on rolls to the rim, which is opening an underutilized dimension of an offense that stagnated in the weeks leading up to their back-to-back wins over the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
April 24 Launched last season, the crown jewel of the Basin’s adventure dining offerings is the Progressive Skinner’s Dinner, each of its four courses requiring some traveling.—
Shauna Farnell,
Denver Post,
29 Jan. 2026
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Taking its name from Don Winslow’s novella, Crime 101 stars Chris Hemsworth as Mike, a lone-wolf jewel thief operating along the Pacific Coast Highway.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brilliant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brilliant. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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