Brilliant — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈbril-yənt/ bril·liant

Meaning & Definition of Brilliant

Brilliant (adjective)

  1. very bright, glittering
  2. striking, distinctive
  3. distinguished by unusual mental keenness or alertness

Brilliant (noun)

  1. a gem (such as a diamond) cut in a particular form with numerous facets so as to have special brightness or brilliance

Brilliant (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. giving off or reflecting much light

    "a brilliant chandelier graces the hotel lobby"

    similar: beaming, bedazzling, bright, candescent, clear, dazzling, effulgent, fulgent, glowing, incandescent, lambent, lucent, lucid, luminous, lustrous, radiant, refulgent, sheeny, shining, shiny, splendid
    related: ablaze, ardent, blazing, burning, combusting, fiery, flaming, red-hot, agleam, aglitter, blinding, coruscant, flaring, flashing, flickering, gemmy, glancing, glaring, gleaming, glimmering, glinting, glistening, glistering, glittering, scintillant, scintillating, shimmering, shimmery, sparkling, sunny, twinkling, winking, burnished, polished, shined, superbright, ultrabright
    opposite: dim, dull, lackluster, unbright, unbrilliant
    near: blackened, dark, darkened, darkish, darkling, darksome, dimmed, dusky, gloomy, lightless, murky, obscure, obscured, pitch-black, pitch-dark, somber, sunless, tenebrous, unlit, cloudy, shadowlike, shadowy, shady, gray, leaden, pale, palish

  2. having or showing quickness of mind

    "a brilliant boy who left for college at the age of 16"

    similar: alert, brainy, bright, clever, exceptional, fast, hyperintelligent, intelligent, keen, nimble, quick, quick-witted, sharp, sharp-witted, smart, supersmart, ultrasmart
    related: apt, ingenious, resourceful, acute, astute, discerning, heady, insightful, knowing, perceptive, percipient, perspicacious, sagacious, sapient, savvy, wise, cerebral, erudite, genial, highbrow, knowledgeable, learned, literate, scholarly, well-read, educated, informed, schooled, skilled, trained, creative, inventive, judicious, prudent, sage, sane, sensible, sound, crafty, cunning, foxy, shrewd, wily, logical, rational, reasonable
    opposite: airheaded, birdbrained, boneheaded, brain-dead, brainless, bubbleheaded, chuckleheaded, dense, dim, dim-witted, doltish, dopey, dorky (slang), dull, dumb, dunderheaded, empty-headed, fatuous, gormless (chiefly British), half-witted, knuckleheaded, lamebrain, lunkheaded, mindless, obtuse, opaque, pinheaded, senseless, simple, slow, slow-witted, soft, softheaded, stupid, thick, thickheaded, thick-witted, unbrilliant, unintelligent, unsmart, vacuous, weak-minded, witless
    near: feebleminded, simpleminded, boobish, foolish, half-baked, idiotic, imbecile, moronic, silly, ignorant, illiterate, lowbrow, nonintellectual, unacademic, uneducated, uninformed, unintellectual, untaught, unthinking, absurd, asinine, balmy, cockeyed, crackpot, crazy, cuckoo, daffy, daft, dippy, dotty, featherheaded, fool, harebrained, insane, kooky, loony, mad, nonsensical, nutty, preposterous, sappy, screwball, tomfool, unwise, wacky, zany

  3. likely to attract attention

    "a brilliant example of government waste"

    similar: arresting, bodacious, bold, catchy, commanding, conspicuous, dramatic, emphatic, eye-catching, flamboyant, grabby, kenspeckle (chiefly Scottish), marked, noisy, noticeable, prominent, pronounced, remarkable, showy, splashy, striking
    related: detectable, discernible, observable, perceptible, recognizable, visible, outstanding, salient, distinguished, eminent, impressive, notable, noteworthy, highlighted, spotlighted, flagrant, glaring, howling, screaming, flashy, garish, gaudy, glitzy, jazzy, loud, meretricious, swank, tawdry, highfalutin, ostentatious, pretentious, extravagant, fancy, florid, glittery, spectacular, opulent, ornate, overdone, overwrought, absorbing, engrossing, enthralling, fascinating, interesting, riveting
    opposite: inconspicuous, unemphatic, unflamboyant, unnoticeable, unobtrusive, unremarkable, unshowy
    near: subtle, concealed, hidden, shrouded, dim, faint, obscure, insignificant, undistinguished, unimportant, modest, unaffected, unassuming, unpretentious, conservative, plain, quiet, simple, understated, muted, restrained, subdued, toned-down, unflashy

Brilliant (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a usually valuable stone cut and polished for ornament

    "the diamond cutter set out an array of brilliants to show the various ways the diamond could be cut"

    similar: gem, gemstone, jewel, rock (slang)
    related: bauble, bijou, trinket, birthstone, baguette, cabochon, cameo, scarab, solitaire, teardrop, paste, rhinestone, zircon, crown jewels, jewelry
    near: rough

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Brilliant

The most common words with a similar meaning to Brilliant:

Chiefly Scottish: kenspeckle
Slang: rock
beaming, bedazzling, bright, candescent, clear, dazzling, effulgent, fulgent, glowing, incandescent, lambent, lucent, lucid, luminous, lustrous, radiant, refulgent, sheeny, shining, shiny, splendid, alert, brainy, clever, exceptional, fast, hyperintelligent, intelligent, keen, nimble, quick, quick-witted, sharp, sharp-witted, smart, supersmart, ultrasmart, arresting, bodacious, bold

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Brilliant

Words with the opposite meaning of Brilliant:

dim, dull, lackluster, unbright, unbrilliant, airheaded, birdbrained, boneheaded, brain-dead, brainless, bubbleheaded, chuckleheaded, dense, dim-witted, doltish, dopey, dorky, dumb, dunderheaded, empty-headed, fatuous, gormless, half-witted, knuckleheaded, lamebrain, lunkheaded, mindless, obtuse, opaque, pinheaded

Related Words for Brilliant

ablaze, ardent, blazing, burning, combusting, fiery, flaming, red-hot, agleam, aglitter, blinding, coruscant, flaring, flashing, flickering, gemmy, glancing, glaring, gleaming, glimmering, glinting, glistening, glistering, glittering, scintillant, scintillating, shimmering, shimmery, sparkling, sunny

Near Antonyms of Brilliant

blackened, dark, darkened, darkish, darkling, darksome, dimmed, dusky, gloomy, lightless, murky, obscure, obscured, pitch-black, pitch-dark, somber, sunless, tenebrous, unlit, cloudy, shadowlike, shadowy, shady, gray, leaden, pale, palish, feebleminded, simpleminded, boobish

Word Forms of Brilliant

Derived words: brilliantly (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Brilliant

French brillant, present participle of briller to shine, from Italian brillare

First known use: circa 1681

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Brilliant

Frequently Asked Questions about Brilliant

What does "Brilliant" mean?

"Brilliant" means very bright, glittering. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: very bright, glittering. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Brilliant"?

Other words for "Brilliant" include beaming, bedazzling, bright, candescent, clear, dazzling, effulgent and fulgent. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Brilliant" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Brilliant"?

There are 205 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Brilliant". Common alternatives include beaming, bedazzling, bright, candescent, clear, dazzling, effulgent, fulgent, glowing and incandescent.

What is the opposite of "Brilliant"?

Antonyms of "Brilliant" include dim, dull, lackluster, unbright, unbrilliant, airheaded, birdbrained and boneheaded. Near antonyms include blackened, dark, darkened and darkish.

How do you use "Brilliant" in a sentence?

Examples of "Brilliant" in a sentence: "a brilliant chandelier graces the hotel lobby"; "a brilliant boy who left for college at the age of 16"; "a brilliant example of government waste".

Is "Brilliant" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Brilliant" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Brilliant" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Brilliant" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Brilliant"?

"Brilliant" is pronounced /ˈbril-yənt/ and divided into syllables as bril·liant.