Word forms: plural brights, comparative brighter, superlative brightest
1. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
A bright colour is strong and noticeable, and not dark.
...a bright red dress.
...the bright uniforms of the guards parading at Buckingham Palace.
Synonyms: vivid, rich, brilliant, intense More Synonyms of bright
brightlyadverb
...a display of brightly coloured flowers.
brightnessuncountable noun
You'll be impressed with the brightness and the beauty of the colours.
Synonyms: intelligence, intellect, brains [informal], awareness More Synonyms of bright
Synonyms: vividness, richness, intensity, brilliance More Synonyms of bright
2. adjective
A bright light, object, or place is shining strongly or is full of light.
...a bright October day.
She leaned forward, her eyes bright with excitement.
brightlyadverb [ADVERB with verb]
...a warm, brightly lit room.
The sun shone brightly.
brightnessuncountable noun
An astronomer can determine the brightness of each star. [+ of]
Synonyms: intelligence, intellect, brains [informal], awareness More Synonyms of bright
Synonyms: light, shine, sparkle, glare More Synonyms of bright
3. adjective [usually verb-link ADJECTIVE]
If you describe someone as bright, you mean that they are quick at learning things.
I was convinced that he was brighter than average.
Synonyms: intelligent, smart, clever, knowing More Synonyms of bright
4. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
A bright idea is clever and original.
There are lots of books crammed with bright ideas.
Ford had the bright idea of paying workers enough to buy cars.
Synonyms: clever, brilliant, smart, sensible More Synonyms of bright
5. adjective
If someone looks or sounds bright, they look or sound cheerful and lively.
The boy was so bright and animated.
'May I help you?' said a bright American voice over the telephone.
Synonyms: cheerful, happy, glad [archaic], lively More Synonyms of bright
brightlyadverb [ADVERB with verb]
He smiled brightly as Ben approached.
6. adjective
If the future is bright, it is likely to be pleasant or successful.
Both had successful careers and the future looked bright.
There are much brighter prospects for a comprehensive settlement than before.
Synonyms: promising, good, encouraging, excellent More Synonyms of bright
7. countable noun [usually plural, usually theNOUN]
Thebrights on a car or other vehicle are the headlights when they are switched on fully.
[mainly US]
8.
See to look on the bright side
More Synonyms of bright
bright in British English
(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
noun
11.
a thin flat paintbrush with a straight sharp edge used for highlighting in oil painting
12. poetic
brightness or splendour
the bright of his armour
adverb
13.
brightly
the fire was burning bright
Derived forms
brightly (ˈbrightly)
adverb
Word origin
Old English beorht; related to Old Norse bjartr, Gothic bairhts clear, Old High German beraht, Norwegian bjerk, Swedish brokig pied
Bright in British English
(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)
Bright in American English
(braɪt)
John1811-89; Eng. statesman, political economist, & orator
bright in American English
(braɪt)
adjective
1.
shining with light that is radiated or reflected; full of light
2.
clear or brilliant in color or sound; vivid or intense
3.
lively; vivacious; cheerful
a bright smile
4.
mentally quick; smart, clever, witty, etc.
5.
a.
full of happiness or hope
a bright outlook on life
b.
favorable; auspicious
6.
glorious or splendid; illustrious
adverb
7.
in a bright manner
noun
8. [pl.]; Informal
an automobile's headlights at their brighter, or high-beam, setting
SIMILAR WORDS: inˈtelligent
SYNONYMY NOTE: bright, the most general term here, implies the giving forth or reflecting of light, ora being filled with light [a bright day, star, shield, etc.]; radiant emphasizes the actual or apparent emission of rays of light; , shining implies a steady, continuous brightness [the shining sun]; brilliant implies intense or flashing brightness [brilliant sunlight, diamonds, etc.]; luminous is applied to objects that are full of light or give off reflected or phosphorescentlight; , lustrous is applied to objects whose surfaces gleam by reflected light and emphasizes glossor sheen [lustrous silk]
OPPOSITES: dull, dim, dark
Derived forms
brightly (ˈbrightly)
adverb
Word origin
ME < OE bryht, earlier beorht < IE base *bher- eg-, to gleam, white > birch, Goth bairhts
More idioms containing
bright
bright as a button
look on the bright side
a bright spark
Examples of 'bright' in a sentence
bright
Your special skill for bringing out the best in others shines bright today.
The Sun (2016)
You are a beautiful soul who shone a bright light in this world.
The Sun (2017)
The other bright spot is in the player ranking.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The catkins are bright yellow in spring and stand out against the dark stems.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Which made it hard to see the bright side.
The Sun (2016)
I am left with a brighter, younger face and a warm glow.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
And inside there was what amounted to a bright pink bin liner with a face that looked like it had been drawn by a four-year-old.
The Sun (2016)
Forecasters warned areas of the country with clear skies and bright sunshine during the day are set for the coldest Guy Fawkes night.
The Sun (2016)
The light will shine brighter and it will make pretty patterns on the tent walls too.
The Sun (2014)
Short sprays of bright pink flowers in early spring.
Bloom, Adrian Winter Garden Glory (1993)
They look bright and make you instantly feel happier.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
With me were only the sighing wind and the bright desert sky.
Christianity Today (2000)
This book is easy to read with clear pictures and bright colours.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
We want the pilot light that represents your motivation to be burning bright all the time.
Pete Cohen and Sten Cummins with Jennai Cox HABIT BUSTING: A 10-step plan that will change your life (2002)
There have been some bright spots amid the gloom.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
He was a bright intelligent young man of my own age.
Aldiss, Brian Somewhere East of Life (1994)
Do we cycle to work because that bright yellow quilted hoodie needs an outing?
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Looking on the bright side can extend your life by as much as a decade.
The Sun (2009)
It seemed a bright and cheerful cloth and one well suited to your color.
Kathleen E. Woodiwiss THE WOLF AND THE DOVE
The future may be bright after all.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
There was a bright moon and the weather was a trifle cold.
Clerk, Jayana & Siegel, Ruth Modern Literatures of the Non-Western World: Where the Waters Are Born (1995)
You have bright ideas and can put them into terms that inspire and entertain people.
The Sun (2009)
The lights get brighter from here on in.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Hard bright voices of women around the coffee machine.
The Times Literary Supplement (2012)
Try something more daring and in a brighter colour than usual.
The Sun (2008)
Their bright red beak and legs will also get a bit duller.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The interiors are sharp and bright.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
In other languages
bright
British English: bright /braɪt/ ADJECTIVE
colour A bright colour is very easy to see.
He wore a bright red sweater.
American English: bright
Arabic: ساطِع
Brazilian Portuguese: claro
Chinese: 明亮的
Croatian: svijetao
Czech: jasný
Danish: klar kraftigt lysende
Dutch: fel
European Spanish: fuerte
Finnish: kirkas
French: brillant
German: hell
Greek: λαμπερός
Italian: luminoso
Japanese: 明るい
Korean: 밝은
Norwegian: skinnende
Polish: jasny
European Portuguese: claro
Romanian: aprins
Russian: яркий
Latin American Spanish: luminoso
Swedish: ljus inte mörk
Thai: สว่างจ้า
Turkish: parlak
Ukrainian: яскравий
Vietnamese: sáng chói
British English: bright /braɪt/ ADJECTIVE
shining Something that is bright shines with a lot of light.
The sun is very bright today.
American English: bright
Arabic: لامِع
Brazilian Portuguese: brilhante
Chinese: 明亮的
Croatian: žarki
Czech: jasnýzářivý
Danish: strålende
Dutch: helder
European Spanish: brillante
Finnish: kirkas
French: brillant
German: hell
Greek: φωτεινός
Italian: luminoso
Japanese: 輝いた
Korean: 밝은
Norwegian: sterk
Polish: jasny
European Portuguese: brilhante
Romanian: strălucitor
Russian: яркий
Latin American Spanish: brillante
Swedish: stark
Thai: สว่าง
Turkish: parlak
Ukrainian: блискучий
Vietnamese: sáng
All related terms of 'bright'
bright-eyed
eager ; fresh and enthusiastic
bright child
A child is a human being who is not yet an adult .
bright lights
If someone talks about the bright lights , they are referring to life in a big city where you can do a lot of enjoyable and exciting things and be successful .
bright pupil
The pupils of a school are the children who go to it.
bright spark
If you say that some bright spark had a particular idea or did something, you mean that their idea or action was clever, or that it seemed clever but was silly in some way.
honor bright
honestly ; truthfully
honour bright
an exclamation pledging honour
bright picture
A picture of something is a description of it or an indication of what it is like.
bright student
A student is a person who is studying at a university or college .
a bright spark
an intelligent and lively person
bright-blindness
blindness occurring in sheep grazing pastures heavily infested with bracken
bright and early
very early in the morning
Bright's disease
chronic inflammation of the kidneys ; chronic nephritis
the bright lights
places of entertainment in a city
bright as a button
intelligent , full of energy , or very cheerful
bright young things
young, fun-loving , fashionable upper-class people, esp of the 1920s
look on the bright side
to try to be cheerful about a bad situation by concentrating on the few good things in it or by thinking about how it could have been even worse
bright-eyed and bushy-tailed
lively , keen, and full of energy
to look on the bright side
If you look on the bright side , you try to be cheerful about a bad situation by thinking of some advantages that could result from it, or thinking that it is not as bad as it could have been.
Chinese translation of 'bright'
bright
(braɪt)
adj
[light]亮的 (liàng de)
[weather, day]晴朗的 (qínglǎng de)
[room]明亮的 (míngliàng de)
(= clever)
[person]聪(聰)明的 (cōngmíng de)
[idea]巧妙的 (qiǎomiào de)
(= lively)[person]愉快的 (yúkuài de)
[colour]鲜(鮮)亮的 (xiānliàng de)
[clothes]鲜(鮮)艳(豔)的 (xiānyàn de)
[outlook, future]光明的 (guāngmíng de)
to look on the bright side抱着(著)乐(樂)观(觀)的态(態)度 (bàozhe lèguān de tàidu)
1 (adjective)
Definition
(of colours) intense or vivid
a bright red dress
Synonyms
vivid
a vivid blue sky
rich
an attractive, glossy rich red colour
brilliant
The event was held in brilliant sunshine.
intense
glowing
stained glass in rich, glowing colours
colourful
Everyone was dressed in colourful clothes.
highly-coloured
2 (adjective)
Definition
emitting or reflecting much light
Newborns hate bright lights and loud noises.
Synonyms
shining
shining brass buttons
flashing
beaming
A beaming sun rose out of the sea.
glowing
blazing
the blazing, brilliant rays of a new dawn
sparkling
jellies that look like sparkling jewels in the fall sunshine
glittering
dazzling
He shielded his eyes against the dazzling sun.
illuminated
gleaming
a gleaming new car
shimmering
twinkling
radiant
Out on the bay the morning is radiant.
luminous
The luminous dial on the clock showed five minutes to seven.
glistening
resplendent
She was resplendent in royal blue velvet.
scintillating
You can hardly expect scintillating conversation from a kid that age.
lustrous
a head of thick, lustrous, wavy brown hair
lambent
the unmistakable gleam of her lambent, amber eyes
effulgent
3 (adjective)
(informal)
I was convinced that he was brighter than average.
Synonyms
intelligent
Rita is a highly intelligent woman.
smart
clever
My sister has always been the clever one in our family.
knowing
thinking
quick
The older adults are not as quick in their thinking.
aware
sharp
He is very sharp and swift with repartee.
keen
a person of keen intellect
acute
His relaxed exterior hides an extremely acute mind.
alert
His grandfather is still alert at 93.
rational
penetrating
a penetrating mind
enlightened
apt
She was never a very apt student.
astute
He made a series of astute business decisions.
brainy (informal)
I don't class myself as being very intelligent or brainy.
wide-awake
clear-headed
perspicacious (formal)
a man of perspicacious judgment
quick-witted
He is quick-witted and rarely lets an opportunity slip by.
4 (adjective)
Definition
quick-witted or clever
(informal)
There are lots of books crammed with bright ideas.
Synonyms
clever
It's a very clever idea.
brilliant
She had a brilliant mind.
smart
He thinks he's much smarter than Sarah.
sensible
She was a sensible girl and did not panic.
cunning
The artist's cunning use of light and shadow creates perspective.
ingenious
a truly ingenious invention
inventive
It inspired me to be more inventive with my cooking.
canny
He was far too canny to risk giving himself away.
5 (adjective)
Definition
lively or cheerful
The boy was so bright and animated.
Synonyms
cheerful
They are both very cheerful in spite of their circumstances.
happy
I'm just happy to be back running.
glad (archaic)
the bringer of glad tidings
lively
She had a sweet, lively personality.
jolly
She was a jolly, kindhearted woman.
merry
He was much loved for his merry nature.
upbeat (informal)
Neil's colleagues say he was actually in a joking, upbeat mood.
joyous
a joyous celebration of life
joyful
We're a very joyful people.
genial
He was a warm-hearted friend and a genial host.
chirpy (informal)
You're very chirpy today - have you won the lottery or something?
sparky
vivacious
a beautiful, vivacious and charming young woman
full of beans (informal)
gay (old-fashioned)
I am in good health, gay and cheerful.
light-hearted
They were light-hearted and prepared to enjoy life.
6 (adjective)
Definition
full of promise
Both had successful careers and the future looked bright.
Synonyms
promising
a new and promising stage in the negotiations
good
Biotechnology should be good news for developing countries.
encouraging
The results have not been very encouraging.
excellent
golden
There's a golden opportunity for peace which must be seized.
optimistic
an optimistic forecast that the economy would pick up by the end of the year
hopeful
hopeful forecasts that the economy will improve
favourable
favourable weather conditions
prosperous
rosy
Is the future really so rosy?
auspicious
His career had an auspicious start.
propitious
the most propitious moment to launch the campaign
palmy
These are palmy days for the music industry.
7 (adjective)
the bright winter sky
Synonyms
sunny
The weather was surprisingly warm and sunny.
clear
Most places will be dry with clear skies.
fair
Weather conditions were fair.
pleasant
clement
lucid
cloudless
unclouded
sunlit
Opposites
dark
,
grey
,
dim
,
gloomy
,
cloudy
,
overcast
,
dusky
,
poorly lit
Additional synonyms
in the sense of acute
Definition
penetrating in perception or insight
His relaxed exterior hides an extremely acute mind.