1
as in bright
in a manner marked by the shining or reflecting of much light
the diamond necklace sparkled brilliantly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in brightly
in a manner that is colorful and tends to arouse gaiety
a chorus of brilliantly costumed Las Vegas showgirls
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 brilliantly
This delightful stop-motion comedy from the world of Wallace & Gromit brilliantly tells its story without a word of dialogue.
—
Danny Horn, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Feb. 2026
Ryan Coogler pulled it off brilliantly and still made a wildly entertaining film.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 19 Feb. 2026
The islands of the Caribbean are known for their stunning beaches, brilliantly blue waters, and near-perfect weather.
—Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 17 Feb. 2026
This one-pan dinner makes a brilliantly creamy mushroom sauce that gives these pork chops the perfect flavor.
—Nellah Bailey McGough, Southern Living, 16 Feb. 2026
The underlying facts tell a remarkable story of how Isom is leading American brilliantly and boldly.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 16 Feb. 2026
After being outplayed by the home side for nearly all of the first half, Leeds took only four minutes of the second period to take the lead, Lukas Nmecha lashing home brilliantly from the edge of the penalty area.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Set the scene Cape Weligama is brilliantly positioned in the surfer’s paradise of Weligama, home to the famous stilt fisherman and one of the Southern Riveria's buzziest tourist spots.
—Harriet Compston, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Feb. 2026
Train Dreams, based on a novella by Denis Johnson, follows his key character one Robert Grainier, played brilliantly by Edgerton, a lumberman who felled timber for railroads at the turn of the 20th century.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 6 Feb. 2026
Danny Horn, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Feb. 2026
Ryan Coogler pulled it off brilliantly and still made a wildly entertaining film.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 19 Feb. 2026
The islands of the Caribbean are known for their stunning beaches, brilliantly blue waters, and near-perfect weather.
—Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 17 Feb. 2026
This one-pan dinner makes a brilliantly creamy mushroom sauce that gives these pork chops the perfect flavor.
—Nellah Bailey McGough, Southern Living, 16 Feb. 2026
The underlying facts tell a remarkable story of how Isom is leading American brilliantly and boldly.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 16 Feb. 2026
After being outplayed by the home side for nearly all of the first half, Leeds took only four minutes of the second period to take the lead, Lukas Nmecha lashing home brilliantly from the edge of the penalty area.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Set the scene Cape Weligama is brilliantly positioned in the surfer’s paradise of Weligama, home to the famous stilt fisherman and one of the Southern Riveria's buzziest tourist spots.
—Harriet Compston, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Feb. 2026
Train Dreams, based on a novella by Denis Johnson, follows his key character one Robert Grainier, played brilliantly by Edgerton, a lumberman who felled timber for railroads at the turn of the 20th century.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 6 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brilliantly
Adverb
-
The authors speculate that the horn, or crest, may have been brightly colored, based on the texture of the fossils, and that the crest may have been used to attract or communicate with other members of the species.—
Rebecca Hersher,
NPR,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Their immense gravity generates tidal forces in this accretion disk that cause intense friction, resulting in high temperatures that cause this region to brightly glow across the electromagnetic spectrum.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
20 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Returning after dark, the illuminated GoldenTemple dazzlingly reflected on the adjacent sacred pool.—
Norma Meyer,
Oc Register,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Instead of dazzlingly white mountains and massive drifts, there were only patches of snow.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
23 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
And the patchwork style of Brij Sadanah’s direction enhances the colorfully over-the-top story, which recasts Wuthering Heights as a sensationalistic revenge drama.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
-
For a good chunk of this century, however, he has become known mostly for his lush and colorfully vivid covers for Marvel.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brilliantly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brilliantly. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
