bright

BRYT/bɹaɪt/

Formsbrighter, brightest

29 meanings of bright

Practice

1
giving off lightadjective
Full of light or giving out a lot of light, so that it shines.
Like a flashlight shone right into your eyes.
The bright lamp lit up the whole room.
Stars look brighter far away from city lights.
Similarbrilliant, radiant, luminous, shining
Oppositedim, dark, dull
Note
2
vivid shadeadjectivefiguratively
Having strong, clear colors that are not pale or dull.
Like a color with the volume turned all the way up.
She chose a bright red for the living room walls.
This yellow is brighter than the one we saw earlier.
UsageSay bright red or bright green.
Similarvivid, brilliant, vibrant, strong, bold
Oppositepale, dull, muted, drab
3
smartadjectivefiguratively
Smart and able to learn and understand things quickly.
Like a sponge that soaks up new ideas in seconds.
She is a bright student who learns very fast.
He's one of the brightest kids in his class.
UsageNot very bright is a softer way to say someone is not clever, but it is still unkind.
Similarsmart, clever, intelligent, brilliant, sharp
Oppositedull, stupid, dim, slow
Note
4
promisingadjectivefiguratively
Hopeful and likely to go well, or full of success, as in 'a bright future'.
Like a road ahead that looks clear and easy to travel.
Her future looks bright after the promotion.
The team's chances seem brighter this season.
UsageOften after look: her future looks bright.
Similarpromising, rosy, hopeful, favorable, auspicious
Oppositebleak, gloomy, dim, grim
5
shinyadjective
Shiny and reflecting a lot of light.
Like a mirror that throws the sun back at you.
The bright silver spoon caught the sunlight.
The polished armor looked brighter than new.
Similarshiny, shining, gleaming, lustrous
Oppositedull
Note
6
sunnyadjective
Describes weather or a day that is sunny and clear, not cloudy or dark.
Like a day made for hanging the laundry outside.
It was a bright morning with no clouds at all.
The forecast says tomorrow will be brighter, with fewer clouds.
Similarsunny, clear, fine, fair, cloudless
Oppositecloudy, overcast, gloomy, dull
7
shining (face)adjectivefiguratively
Happy, lively and hopeful, often shown in someone's face, eyes or smile.
Like a face that lights up the moment good news arrives.
She gave me a bright smile when I walked in.
His eyes were bright with excitement.
Similarcheerful, sunny, lively, happy, radiant
Oppositegloomy, glum, sad, dull
8
fresh tasteadjectivefiguratively
Of a taste or smell: fresh, sharp and lively.
Like biting into a fresh, cool slice of lemon.
The lemonade had a bright taste that felt cool and fresh.
This dressing is bright, with just a little sweetness.
Similarfresh, lively, zesty, crisp
Oppositeflat, dull
Note
9
adverbliterary
In a way that gives off or reflects a lot of light.
Like a flashlight beam shining strong in a dark room.
The candles burned bright all through the night.
The moon shone bright above the quiet field.
UsageSay shine bright, or shine brightly in plain writing.
Similarbrilliantly, radiantly, luminously
Oppositedimly, faintly
Note

Less common meanings

10
clear soundadjectivefiguratively
Describes a voice, sound or instrument that is clear and rings out, often high in pitch.
Like a bell that rings out clearly above all the other noise.
Her bright voice carried all the way to the back of the hall.
The trumpet had a bright sound that cut right through the band.
Similarclear, ringing, brilliant, resonant
Oppositedull, muffled, dark, mellow
Note
11
wittyadjectivefiguratively
Describes talk or writing that is clever and funny.
Like a chat that keeps surprising you with funny ideas.
Her essay was bright and full of clever turns.
He made a bright remark that got everyone laughing.
Similarwitty, sparkling, clever, lively, scintillating
Oppositedull, flat, pedestrian, leaden
12
obviousadjectivefiguratively
Easy to see or notice right away, and very clear.
Similarobvious, conspicuous, glaring, evident, plain
Oppositesubtle, inconspicuous
13
gloriousadjectivefiguratively
Full of glory and honor, famous and admired.
The old poet's bright name is still honored across the country.
For years they sang of the king's bright deeds.
Similarglorious, illustrious, brilliant, distinguished, renowned
Oppositeobscure, inglorious
Note
14
light upverbdialectalfigurativelyBritishtransitive
To brighten: to become or make something brighter or happier.
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.”Here, brighteth means makes brighter, so the sun makes the air bright and cheerful.
Similarbrighten, lighten
Oppositedarken, dim
Note
15
adverbfiguratively
In a way that uses bold, strong colors.
She dressed bright in reds and yellows for the parade.
This artist paints bright, with bold reds and deep blues.
Similarvividly, boldly, brilliantly
16
colorful itemnouncountableplural
Strong, vivid colors, or clothes and other things made in those colors.
Wash your brights separately so their colors don't run.
Wash your brights in cold water so the colors do not run.
Note
17
adjective
Describes a beat or rhythm that is quick, lively and cheerful.
18
adjective
Describes a room or place where sounds echo a lot, especially high sounds.
19
adjective
Describes a liquid or other substance that is clear and see-through, or pure and clean.
20
adjective
Describes metal with nothing on its surface to protect it from rust.
21
adjective
Describes a musical note that sounds a little too high.
22
noun
A person who sees the world in a natural way, with no belief in magic or the supernatural.
23
adjectivearchaic
Of eyes, able to see well.
24
adjectivearchaic
Easy to understand or see as true.
25
nounarchaic
Shining light.
26
nounarchaic
Great honor or glory.
27
noun
A flat artist's brush with short bristles, used for oil and acrylic paint.
28
adverbarchaic
Clearly, when you see, hear or understand something.
29
verbdialectalBritish
To make something lit up or brighter.

More uses

brightsa car's high-beam headlights

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of bright apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–8, 10–13, 16

The adjective comes from Old English 'beorht', meaning 'bright'. It goes all the way back to an ancient root meaning 'to shine or gleam'. The noun comes from the same adjective.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

The adjective derives from Old English beorht, with the same meaning. en.wikipedia.org
Its ultimate root meant to shine or gleam. en.wiktionary.org
The noun derives from the adjective. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 9, 15

This adverb comes from Old English 'beorhte' and, like the adjective, goes back to a Proto-Germanic word meaning 'bright, shining'.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

The adverb bright descends from Old English beorhte. en.wiktionary.org
The adverb and adjective share a Proto-Germanic ancestor. en.wiktionary.org
The Proto-Germanic ancestor meant bright, shining. en.wiktionary.org

Meaning 14

This verb comes from Old English 'beorhtian' ('to brighten, shine'), probably made from the adjective 'beorht' ('bright') plus a verb-forming ending.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

The verb bright comes from Old English beorhtian. en.wiktionary.org
Old English beorhtian means ‘to brighten, shine’. en.wiktionary.org
Beorhtian was probably formed from the adjective beorht plus a verb-forming ending. en.wiktionary.org