brilliant
word
/ˈbɹɪɫjənt/
BRIL-yuhnt
/bɹˈɪlɪənt/
BRIL-ee-uhnt
Definition
If something is brilliant, it is extremely good, impressive, or full of light. It can also describe a person who is very intelligent or a clever idea.
Usage & Nuances
Very common in British English for strong praise: 'That’s brilliant!' In everyday use, it often means 'excellent' more than 'intelligent'. For people, 'brilliant' is stronger than 'smart'. It can also describe strong light in more formal or descriptive contexts.
Spanish: brillante - genial - muy inteligentePortuguese (BR): brilhante - genial - muito inteligentePortuguese (PT): brilhante - genial - muito inteligenteChinese (Simplified): 明亮的 - 出色的 - 聪明绝顶的Chinese (Traditional): 明亮的 - 出色的 - 聰明絕頂的Hindi: शानदार - प्रतिभाशाली - बहुत बुद्धिमानArabic: لامع - رائع - شديد الذكاءBengali: উজ্জ্বল - দারুণ - অসাধারণRussian: блестящий - выдающийся - замечательныйJapanese: 素晴らしい - 優秀な - 輝くVietnamese: tuyệt vời - xuất sắc - rực rỡKorean: 훌륭한 - 눈부신 - 뛰어난Turkish: müthiş - parlak - harikaUrdu: شاندار - زبردست - درخشاںIndonesian: cemerlang - brilian - luar biasa
Example Sentences
She is a brilliant student.
basic
What a brilliant idea!
basic
The moon looked brilliant in the clear sky.
basic
That was a brilliant game — I couldn’t stop watching.
natural
He came up with a brilliant solution in just a few minutes.
natural
Thanks for helping me move this weekend — you’re brilliant.
natural