brilliance
Americannoun
-
great brightness; luster.
the brilliance of a fine diamond.
- Synonyms:
- refulgence, effulgence, radiance
- Antonyms:
- dullness
-
excellence or distinction; conspicuous talent, mental ability, etc.
- Synonyms:
- genius, preeminence, illustriousness
- Antonyms:
- dullness
-
splendor, elegance, or magnificence.
the brilliance of the court of Louis XIV.
-
Optics. that luminance of a body consisting of its saturation and brightness.
noun
-
great brightness; radiance
-
excellence or distinction in physical or mental ability; exceptional talent
-
splendour; magnificence
the brilliance of the royal court
-
physics a former term for luminance
Usage
What does brilliance mean? Brilliance commonly refers to the quality of extreme intelligence. People considered geniuses are often said to possess or display brilliance.Brilliance is a noun form of the adjective brilliant, which commonly means extremely intelligent but can also mean outstanding, exceptional, or magnificent, as in a brilliant performance. These senses of brilliant are based on its more general meaning—shining brightly or sparkling. Bright sunshine can be described as brilliant in this way. A very sparkly gem such as a diamond could also be described as brilliant. Brilliance can be used in these contexts to refer to the brightness or sparkliness of such things.Brilliant can also be used to mean vivid or vibrant. This sense of the word is especially used to describe colors and sounds that stand out due to being especially strong and clear. Brilliance refers to the quality of such things.Example: I cannot overstate the brilliance of the performance—it was magnificent in every way.
Other Word Forms
- overbrilliance noun
Etymology
Origin of brilliance
First recorded in 1745–55; brilli(ant) + -ance
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Who knows, Morgan's brilliance might even inspire Villa to mount a Premier League title challenge.
From BBC
Considered by many as the most famous broadcaster and conservationist of our time, Sir David has circled the globe for 70 years to show us the brilliance of the natural world.
From BBC
That Djokovic consistently looks the most likely to disrupt the 'New Two' is testament to his enduring brilliance.
From BBC
When light catches the lattice of a diatretum, the glass shows more than technical brilliance.
From Science Daily
That Baxter could pull this off without causing offence or appearing to patronise his Scottish roots for a wider audience was a testament to his brilliance as a performer.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
