brilliant
Americanadjective
-
shining brightly; sparkling; glittering; lustrous.
the brilliant lights of the city.
-
distinguished; illustrious.
a brilliant performance by a young pianist.
-
having or showing great intelligence, talent, quality, etc..
a brilliant technician.
-
strong and clear in tone; vivid; bright.
brilliant blues and greens; the brilliant sound of the trumpets.
-
splendid or magnificent.
a brilliant social event.
noun
-
Jewelry. a gem, especially a diamond, having any of several varieties of the brilliant cut.
-
Printing. a size of type about 3½-point.
adjective
-
shining with light; sparkling
-
(of a colour) having a high saturation and reflecting a considerable amount of light; vivid
-
outstanding; exceptional
a brilliant success
-
splendid; magnificent
a brilliant show
-
of outstanding intelligence or intellect
a brilliant mind
a brilliant idea
-
music
-
(of the tone of an instrument) having a large proportion of high harmonics above the fundamental
-
Also: brilliant. brilliante. with spirit; lively
-
noun
-
Also called: brilliant cut.
-
a popular circular cut for diamonds and other gemstones in the form of two many-faceted pyramids (the top one truncated) joined at their bases
-
a diamond of this cut
-
-
(formerly) a size of a printer's type approximately equal to 4 point
Usage
What does brilliant mean? Brilliant is commonly used to mean extremely intelligent, as in a brilliant mathematician or a brilliant idea. People considered geniuses are often described as brilliant in this way. It can also be used to describe something considered outstanding, exceptional, or magnificent, as in a brilliant performance. In the U. K., brilliant is often used in an informal way to mean excellent or awesome. 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. In fact, the term brilliant cut refers to a type of cut used to increase the sparkliness of gems, especially diamonds. Brilliant can even be used as a noun to refer to such a diamond. 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. The noun brilliance refers to the quality of someone or something that is brilliant. Example: It was a brilliant performance from a brilliant musical mind.
Synonym Usage
See bright.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of brilliant
First recorded in 1675–85; from French brillant “shining,” present participle of briller “to shine,” from Italian brillare, perhaps either ultimately from Latin bēryllus beryl ( def. ) or derivative of an expressive root
Explanation
Brilliant describes something super bright, like intense lights at a football stadium, a super sparkly diamond, or the student who graduates from Harvard at age 13. Brilliant comes from the Italian word brillare, to "sparkle" like those bright lights, diamonds, and brainiac kid. British people love to say things are "Brilliant!" in the same way Americans say "Awesome!" Brilliant describes anything sparkly, fabulous, or full of light. A bright color is brilliant, too, like the brilliant orange of a setting sun.
Vocabulary lists containing brilliant
All Aglow: Light Lingo
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Bright Ideas: Synonyms For "Smart"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Casey at the Bat"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The young Rollins would hang out at Monk's apartment and played on the pianist's classic 1957 album "Brilliant Corners."
From Barron's • May 26, 2026
Brilliant race start on Sunday and enjoyed a fun battle with Alonso.
From BBC • May 3, 2026
"She won it for England on Tuesday, and she's kept the game in England's advantage today. Brilliant concentration from her."
From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026
Obviously, Radcliffe is the main reason “Every Brilliant Thing” is on Broadway.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026
“The place was packed. He’s a very famous technology prophet. His TED Talk, ‘Our Brilliant Tomorrow,’ has been watched nearly two million times online.”
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
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.
