bright

[ brahyt ]

/ braɪt /

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See synonyms for bright on Thesaurus.com

adjective, bright·er, bright·est.

radiating or reflecting light; luminous; shining: The bright coins shone in the gloom.

filled with light: The room was bright with sunshine.

vivid or brilliant: a bright red dress; bright passages of prose.

quick-witted or intelligent: They gave promotions to bright employees.

clever or witty, as a remark: Bright comments enlivened the conversation.

animated; lively; cheerful: a bright and happy child; a bird's bright song.

characterized by happiness or gladness: All the world seems bright and gay.

favorable or auspicious: bright prospects for the future.

radiant or splendid: the bright pageantry of court.

illustrious or glorious, as an era: the bright days of the Renaissance.

clear or translucent, as liquid: The bright water trickled through his fingers.

having a glossy, glazed, or polished finish.

intensely clear and vibrant in tone or quality; clear and sharp in sound: a bright singing voice.

noun

brights,

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

flue-cured, light-hued tobacco.

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

Archaic. brightness; splendor.

adverb, bright·er, bright·est.

in a bright manner; brightly.

OTHER WORDS FOR bright

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

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

8 promising, encouraging.

See synonyms for bright on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR bright

1 dull, dim.

See antonyms for bright on Thesaurus.com

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ALL IN FAVO(U)R OF THIS BRITISH VS. AMERICAN ENGLISH QUIZ

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True or false? British English and American English are only different when it comes to slang words.

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Origin of bright

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 (<*berkto-); akin to Latin flagrāre to blaze (see flagrant), Albanian (i) bardhë white, Sanskrit bhrājate(it) shines

synonym study for bright

1. 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 WORDS FROM bright

brightish, adjectivebrightly, adverbo·ver·bright, adjectiveo·ver·bright·ly, adverb

o·ver·bright·ness, nounsu·per·bright, adjectiveun·bright, adjectiveun·bright·ly, adverbun·bright·ness, noun

Words nearby bright

Briggs, Briggsian logarithm, Brigham, Brigham City, Brighouse, bright, bright and early, bright-blindness, bright coal, brighten, brightener

Other definitions for bright (2 of 2)

Bright

[ brahyt ]

/ braɪt /

noun

John, 1811–89, British statesman and economist.

Richard, 1789–1858, English physician.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bright in a sentence

Because neutrinos from FRBs are expected to be rare, detecting any will be challenging, and would probably require a particularly bright magnetar flare to be aimed directly at Earth.
Neutrinos could reveal how fast radio bursts are launched|Lisa Grossman|September 16, 2020|Science News
Over the course of the next three movements, Beethoven tries to overcome a dark real-world fate with bright, major-key melodies — and keeps getting defeated.
Beethoven’s 5th Symphony is a lesson in finding hope in adversity|Charlie Harding|September 11, 2020|Vox
Twenty-three years ago, a job at Art Van Furniture was a foothold for a brighter future.
Why the Democratic Party must make a clean break with Wall Street|matthewheimer|September 8, 2020|Fortune
Across a spectrum of professions from finance to entertainment, some of the brightest young minds use podcasts to stay sharp and informed.
Podcast recommendations for a better life and career from Fortune’s 40 under 40|Aric Jenkins|September 5, 2020|Fortune

So maybe Tenet is Nolan’s way of focusing us on those mysteries, of creating a 21st-century Sator square on a big, bright screen.
The ancient palindrome that explains Christopher Nolan’s Tenet|Alissa Wilkinson|September 4, 2020|Vox
His peers remember him as a bright man who spoke softly and occasionally came across as a bit shy.
Mexico’s Priests Are Marked for Murder|Jason McGahan|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Despite the obvious ongoing problems with disease and access to basics, the future of Africa is bright.
Silicon Valley Sets Its Sights on Africa|Christian Borys|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
How could the holidays be merry and bright without Holiday Lights?
Congress’ Gift That Keeps on Giving|P. J. O’Rourke|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If Kendrick Lamar is the future of rap, then the future is bright.
Kendrick Lamar Shuts Down ‘The Colbert Report’ with Untitled Track|Charlise Ferguson|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In his black suits, Hitchcock always looked odd in the bright California sun.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His nose was hooked and rather large, his eyes were blue, bright as steel, and set a trifle wide.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
While Benjy sat contemplating this creature, and wondering what was to be the end of it all, a bright idea occurred to him.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
"She used to be so well—so bright," said Angela, who also appeared to have the desire to say something kind and comfortable.
Confidence|Henry James
As the bright glow of a little cascade of sparks pierced the darkness, a voice in our rear called sharply: "Hands up!"
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
She turned her bright eyes, with their dilated pupils, slowly away from his, and looked down over the river.
Bella Donna|Robert Hichens

British Dictionary definitions for bright (1 of 2)

bright

/ (braɪt) /

adjective

emitting or reflecting much light; shining

(of colours) intense or vivid

full of promisea bright future

full of animation; cheerfula bright face

informal quick witted or clevera bright child

magnificent; gloriousa bright victory

polished; glisteninga bright finish

(of the voice) distinct and clear

(of a liquid) translucent and cleara circle of bright water

bright and early very early in the morning

noun

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

poetic brightness or splendourthe bright of his armour

adverb

brightlythe fire was burning bright

Derived forms of bright

brightly, adverb

Word Origin for bright

Old English beorht; related to Old Norse bjartr, Gothic bairhts clear, Old High German beraht, Norwegian bjerk, Swedish brokig pied

British Dictionary definitions for bright (2 of 2)

Bright

/ (braɪt) /

noun

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with bright

bright

In addition to the idioms beginning with bright

bright and early
bright idea
bright side

also see:

look on the bright side

bright

OTHER WORDS FOR bright

OPPOSITES FOR bright

Origin of bright

synonym study for bright

OTHER WORDS FROM bright

Words nearby bright

Other definitions for bright (2 of 2)

Words related to bright

How to use bright in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bright (1 of 2)

Derived forms of bright

Word Origin for bright

British Dictionary definitions for bright (2 of 2)

Other Idioms and Phrases with bright