bright

¹ American  

[brahyt] / braɪt /

adjective

brighter, brightest

1. radiating or reflecting light; luminous; shining.

   The bright coins shone in the gloom.

   Synonyms:

   lambent, beaming, lucent, lustrous, effulgent, refulgent, radiant

   Antonyms:

   dim, dull

2. filled with light.

   The room was bright with sunshine.

3. vivid or brilliant.

   a bright red dress;

   bright passages of prose.

4. quick-witted or intelligent.

   They gave promotions to bright employees.

   Synonyms:

   clever, ingenious, sharp-witted, sharp, discerning, keen

5. clever or witty, as a remark.

   Bright comments enlivened the conversation.

6. animated; lively; cheerful.

   a bright and happy child;

   a bird's bright song.

7. characterized by happiness or gladness.

   All the world seems bright and gay.

8. favorable or auspicious.

   bright prospects for the future.

   Synonyms:

   promising

9. radiant or splendid.

   the bright pageantry of court.

10. illustrious or glorious, as an era.

    the bright days of the Renaissance.

11. clear or translucent, as liquid.

    The bright water trickled through his fingers.

12. having a glossy, glazed, or polished finish.

13. intensely clear and vibrant in tone or quality; clear and sharp in sound.

    a bright singing voice.

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noun

1. brights,

   1. the automobile or truck headlights used for driving at night or under conditions of decreased visibility.

   2. the brighter level of intensity of these lights, usually deflected upward by switching on a bulb in the headlamp that strikes the lens at a different angle.

2. flue-cured, light-hued tobacco.

3. an artist's paintbrush having short, square-edged bristles.

4. Archaic. brightness; splendor.

adverb

brighter, brightest

1. in a bright manner; brightly.

Bright ² American  

[brahyt] / braɪt /

noun

1. John, 1811–89, British statesman and economist.

2. Richard, 1789–1858, English physician.

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bright ¹ British  

/ braɪt /

adjective

1. emitting or reflecting much light; shining

2. (of colours) intense or vivid

3. full of promise

   a bright future

4. full of animation; cheerful

   a bright face

5. informal quick witted or clever

   a bright child

6. magnificent; glorious

   a bright victory

7. polished; glistening

   a bright finish

8. (of the voice) distinct and clear

9. (of a liquid) translucent and clear

   a circle of bright water

10. very early in the morning

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noun

1. a thin flat paintbrush with a straight sharp edge used for highlighting in oil painting

2. poetic brightness or splendour

   the bright of his armour

adverb

1. brightly

   the fire was burning bright

Bright ² British  

/ braɪt /

noun

1. John . 1811–89, British liberal statesman, economist, and advocate of free trade: with Richard Cobden he led the Anti-Corn-Law League (1838–46)

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bright Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing bright

• look on the bright side

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Related Words

Bright, brilliant, radiant, shining refer to that which gives forth, is filled with, or reflects light. Bright suggests the general idea: bright flare, stars, mirror. Brilliant implies a strong, unusual, or sparkling brightness, often changeful or varied and too strong to be agreeable: brilliant sunlight. Radiant implies the pouring forth of steady rays of light, especially as are agreeable to the eyes: a radiant face. Shining implies giving forth or reflecting a strong or steady light: shining eyes.

Other Word Forms

• brightish adjective
• brightly adverb
• overbright adjective
• overbrightly adverb
• overbrightness noun
• superbright adjective
• unbright adjective
• unbrightly adverb
• unbrightness noun

Etymology

Origin of bright

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English breht, beorht; cognate with Gothic bairht(s), Old Saxon ber(a)ht, Old High German beraht, Old Norse bjartr; Welsh berth “splendid”; akin to Latin flagrāre “to blaze” ( flagrant ( def. ) ), Albanian bardhë “white,” Sanskrit bhrājate “it shines”

Example Sentences

Each spoonful shifts depending on what you catch — creamy, bright, herby, crisp.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

As the Wichita-bred artist, 26, releases her sophomore album “Halo,” a fervid new entry in the hyperpop lane, she is glistening bright.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

That meant that healthcare hiring—one of the consistent bright spots in the labor market—collapsed in the February report.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

The Moon will slide directly in front of the Sun so its bright face is completely covered to reveal its normally concealed shimmering halo, with Earth hanging off to one side.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

A name as sunny and bright as the warm smile she gave us.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

Related Words

• blazing
• brilliant
• dazzling
• flashing
• glistening
• glittering
• golden
• intense
• luminous
• radiant
• shimmering
• shiny
• silvery
• sparkling
• sunny
• vivid