bright

Less common meanings

10. 10
    clear soundadjectivefiguratively

    Of a voice, sound, or instrument, ringing out clearly and resonantly, often with a high pitch.

    The soprano's bright tone filled the cathedral without any strain.

    His bright, ringing delivery made him easy to pick out in the choir.

    Similarclear, ringing, brilliant, resonant

    Oppositedull, muffled, dark, mellow

    Note

    Light borrowed for the ear. A bright voice or trumpet cuts clearly through a space, and the word usually implies a higher, ringing register rather than a deep or mellow one. Singers and players use it to praise a clear tone. Keep it apart from the acoustics of a room, where the brightness belongs to the space rather than to the sound.

11. 11
    wittyadjectivefiguratively

    Of conversation or writing, imaginative and sparkling with wit; clever and lively.

    The dialogue is bright and witty throughout the play.

    A bright, sparkling column appeared in the weekend paper.

    Similarwitty, sparkling, clever, lively, scintillating

    Oppositedull, flat, pedestrian, leaden

12. 12
    obviousadjectivefiguratively

    Clearly apparent and easy to notice; standing out conspicuously.

    Similarobvious, conspicuous, glaring, evident, plain

    Oppositesubtle, inconspicuous

13. 13
    gloriousadjectivefiguratively

    Marked by glory and great distinction; illustrious and renowned.

    Carved into the old library's walls are the brightest names of the nation's past, from statesmen to poets.

    The ancient epic tells of a warrior whose bright fame spread to every corner of the land.

    Similarglorious, illustrious, brilliant, distinguished, renowned

    Oppositeobscure, inglorious

    Note

    The light of fame rather than of the sun. Charles Cotton writes of "the brightest Annals of a Female Reign" (1681), where the superlative crowns a whole reign with glory. The register is elevated and rhetorical, suited to histories and tributes rather than conversation. A rare literary noun bright, meaning glory or splendor, carries the same idea. Source

    Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

    • Charles Cotton wrote the quoted words in The Wonders of the Peake; the quotation modernizes the long s. en.wiktionary.org
    • The quoted work was first published in 1681. liu.edu
    • The literary noun bright has the figurative meaning glory or splendour. en.wiktionary.org
14. 14
    light upverbdialectalfigurativelyBritishtransitive

    To brighten: to make or become brighter, or more cheerful and lively.

    Toward Mid-day he [the Sun] brighteth the Air into a chearful Saphir, and guildeth the Borders of the very Clouds with a coſtly limbus.

    1686, J[ohn] Goad, “The Sun, the Great Light, Justly Admired.”

    Similarbrighten, lighten

    Oppositedarken, dim

    Note

    A British dialect verb that standard English has replaced with brighten. To bright someone up is to cheer them. It goes back to Old English beorhtian and is regular: brights, brighting, brighted. John Goad (1686) could write that the sun "brighteth the Air", but outside dialect speech, brighten is the form to use. Source

    Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 4 facts

    • The verb descends from Old English beorhtian. en.wiktionary.org
    • The verb has the regular forms brights, brighting, and brighted. en.wiktionary.org
    • Goad's Astro-meteorologica was published in 1686. wellcomecollection.org
    • John Goad wrote that the sun “brighteth the Air”. en.wiktionary.org
15. 15
    adverbfiguratively

    In a manner using bold or vivid colors.

    On game day, fans dress bright in the team's orange and blue, turning the stands into a wall of color.

    Children love to color bright, filling every page with vivid shades.

    Similarvividly, boldly, brilliantly

16. 16
    colorful itemnouncountableplural

    Usually in the plural: strong, vivid colors, or clothes, cosmetics and other goods in such colors.

    The fall catalog pairs classic neutrals with a handful of bold brights, from tangerine sweaters to cobalt scarves.

    This season's collection pairs soft neutrals with a handful of brights, such as tangerine scarves and electric-blue handbags.

    Note

    Chiefly a plural, and a retail one. Buyers and shops speak of brights to mean goods sold on their vivid color or sheen, as in stocking brights for spring. The singular exists, but a bright on its own sounds less natural than the plural. When in doubt, use brights as a collective label for a range of products.

17. 17
    adjective

    Of a rhythm or tempo, brisk, lively, and upbeat in feel.
18. 18
    adjective

    Of a room or other place: tending to cause much echo or reverberation of sound, particularly at high frequencies.
19. 19
    adjective

    Of a substance, clear and transparent, or pure and unadulterated; of wine, free of suspended particles and not cloudy.
20. 20
    adjective

    Of metal, left bare, with no coating or finish applied to protect it against corrosion.
21. 21
    adjective

    Of a note: sounding slightly sharp in pitch.
22. 22
    noun

    Someone whose view of the world is naturalistic and excludes anything mystical or supernatural.
23. 23
    adjectivearchaic

    Of the eyes or sight, sharp and able to make things out clearly.
24. 24
    adjectivearchaic

    Easy for the mind to grasp, in the way light is easy to see, and therefore obvious.
25. 25
    nounarchaic

    Light that shines or glows, or the quality of shining.
26. 26
    nounarchaic

    Magnificence or great honor and fame.
27. 27
    noun

    A flat brush for oil and acrylic artists, whose short bristles taper slightly and sit in an extended metal collar.
28. 28
    adverbarchaic

    In a way that is sharp and distinct, as of seeing, hearing or understanding.
29. 29
    verbdialectalBritish

    To shine on a person or thing and make it brighter, frequently with up.