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adj. bright·er, bright·est 1. a. Emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts; shining. b. Comparatively high on the scale of brightness: bright red. c. Full of light or illumination: a bright sunny day; a stage bright with spotlights. 2. Characterizing a dyestuff that produces a highly saturated color; brilliant. 3. Glorious; splendid: one of the bright stars of stage and screen; a bright moment in history. 4. Full of promise and hope; auspicious: had a bright future in publishing. 5. Happy; cheerful: bright faces. 6. Quick to learn or understand; intelligent. 7. High and clear: the bright sound of the trumpet section. bright, brightly adv. Synonyms: bright, brilliant, radiant, lustrous, lambent, luminous, incandescent, effulgent These adjectives refer to what emits or reflects light. Bright is the most general: bright sunshine; a bright white shirt. Brilliant implies intense brightness and often suggests sparkling or gleaming light: brilliant floodlights; a brilliant gemstone. Something radiant emits or seems to emit light in rays: a radiant sunrise; a table set with radiant crystal. A lustrous object reflects an agreeable sheen: thick, lustrous hair. Lambent applies to a soft, flickering light: "its tranquil streets, bathed in the lambent green of budding trees" (James C. McKinley). Luminous especially refers to something that glows in the dark: a luminous watch dial. Incandescent stresses burning brilliance: fireworks exploding in incandescent colors. Effulgent suggests splendid radiance: "The crocus, the snowdrop, and the effulgent daffodil are considered bright harbingers of spring" (John Gould). See Also Synonyms at intelligent. |
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