bright

¹

[ brahyt ]

adjective

, bright·er, bright·est.

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

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.

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

, bright·er, bright·est.

1. in a bright manner; brightly.

Bright

²

[ brahyt ]

noun

1. John, 1811–89, British statesman and economist.
2. Richard, 1789–1858, English physician.

bright

¹

/ 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. bright and early
    very early in the morning

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

/ braɪt /

noun

1. BrightJohn18111889MBritishPOLITICS: statesmanSOCIAL SCIENCE: economist John . 1811–89, British liberal statesman, economist, and advocate of free trade: with Richard Cobden he led the Anti-Corn-Law League (1838–46)

Derived Forms

• ˈbrightly, adverb

Other Words From

• brightish adjective
• brightly adverb
• over·bright adjective
• over·brightly adverb
• over·brightness noun
• super·bright adjective
• un·bright adjective
• un·brightly adverb
• un·brightness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of bright¹

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”

Word History and Origins

Origin of bright¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

• look on the bright side

Synonym Study

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.

Related Words

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