# bright

Pronunciation: say "BRYT" /bɹaɪt/

## Adjective

1. Giving out or full of a lot of light; shining strongly, as of a lamp, light itself, or a sunny, well-lit room.
   - Simple: Full of light or giving out a lot of light, so that it shines.
   - _The new desk lamp is so bright that I had to angle it away from my screen._
   - _The headlights were so bright that she shielded her eyes._
2. Of a color, or something colored: strong and vivid rather than pale or dull.
   - Simple: Having strong, clear colors that are not pale or dull.
   - _The logo uses a bright blue that stands out instantly._
   - _Bright greens dominated the entire spring collection._
3. Having a clear, quick mind; intelligent and quick to understand.
   - Simple: Smart and able to learn and understand things quickly.
   - _A bright young engineer solved the problem in minutes._
   - _Her questions revealed a bright, inquisitive mind._
4. Likely to be good or successful, or marked by happiness and success, as of prospects, the future, or a period of time.
   - Simple: Hopeful and likely to go well, or full of success, as in 'a bright future'.
   - _Analysts say the company's prospects are bright._
   - _Thanks to new jobs in the area, prospects look bright for this year's graduates._
5. Of an object or surface, reflecting much light; gleaming with a high luster.
   - Simple: Shiny and reflecting a lot of light.
   - _He shined his shoes until they were bright._
   - _The bright chrome bumper reflected the streetlights._
6. Of weather or a period of time, clear and sunny rather than cloudy or gloomy.
   - Simple: Describes weather or a day that is sunny and clear, not cloudy or dark.
   - _We had a bright, dry spell through most of June._
   - _The forecast promises bright skies for the weekend._
7. Cheerful, lively and full of hope, as shown in a person's manner, face, eyes or smile.
   - Simple: Happy, lively and hopeful, often shown in someone's face, eyes or smile.
   - _Her bright eyes lit up when she saw the gift._
   - _He greeted us with a bright, welcoming grin._
8. Of a taste or smell: fresh, lively and sharp, often with a pleasant acidity.
   - Simple: Of a taste or smell: fresh, sharp and lively.
   - _Poured cold, the sauvignon blanc gave off a bright aroma of lime zest and green apple._
   - _Chefs prize the bright flavor of fresh herbs in summer dishes._
10. Of a voice, sound, or instrument, ringing out clearly and resonantly, often with a high pitch.
   - Simple: Describes a voice, sound or instrument that is clear and rings out, often high in 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._
11. Of conversation or writing, imaginative and sparkling with wit; clever and lively.
   - Simple: Describes talk or writing that is clever and funny.
   - _The dialogue is bright and witty throughout the play._
   - _A bright, sparkling column appeared in the weekend paper._
12. Clearly apparent and easy to notice; standing out conspicuously.
   - Simple: Easy to see or notice right away, and very clear.
13. Marked by glory and great distinction; illustrious and renowned.
   - Simple: Full of glory and honor, famous and admired.
   - _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._

## Adverb

9. In a manner that shines glowingly, luminously, or lustrously. *(literary)*
   - Simple: In a way that gives off or reflects a lot of light.
   - _The bonfire glowed bright against the dark sky._
   - _Her eyes shone bright with hope as the gates opened._
15. In a manner using bold or vivid colors.
   - Simple: In a way that uses bold, strong 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._

## Verb

14. To brighten: to make or become brighter, or more cheerful and lively. *(dialectal, British)*
   - Simple: To brighten: to become or make something brighter or happier.

## Noun

16. Usually in the plural: strong, vivid colors, or clothes, cosmetics and other goods in such colors.
   - Simple: Strong, vivid colors, or clothes and other things made in those 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._

## Other meanings

- (adjective) Of a rhythm or tempo, brisk, lively, and upbeat in feel.
- (adjective) Of a room or other place: tending to cause much echo or reverberation of sound, particularly at high frequencies.
- (adjective) Of a substance, clear and transparent, or pure and unadulterated; of wine, free of suspended particles and not cloudy.
- (adjective) Of metal, left bare, with no coating or finish applied to protect it against corrosion.
- (adjective) Of a note: sounding slightly sharp in pitch.
- (noun) Someone whose view of the world is naturalistic and excludes anything mystical or supernatural.
- (adjective) Of the eyes or sight, sharp and able to make things out clearly.
- (adjective) Easy for the mind to grasp, in the way light is easy to see, and therefore obvious.
- (noun) Light that shines or glows, or the quality of shining.
- (noun) Magnificence or great honor and fame.
- (noun) A flat brush for oil and acrylic artists, whose short bristles taper slightly and sit in an extended metal collar.
- (adverb) In a way that is sharp and distinct, as of seeing, hearing or understanding.
- (verb) To shine on a person or thing and make it brighter, frequently with up.

## Origin

**Meanings 1–8, 10–13, 16** — The adjective comes from Middle English 'bright', from Old English 'beorht', going back through Proto-Germanic *berhtaz ('bright') to the Proto-Indo-European root *bʰerHǵ- ('to shine, gleam, whiten'). The noun derives from the same word. It is cognate with words such as Icelandic 'bjartur' ('bright'), Norwegian 'bjart' and Welsh 'berth' ('beautiful, fair').
**Meanings 9, 15** — From Middle English 'brighte' ('brightly, vividly, clearly'), from Old English 'beorhte' (West Saxon), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *berhtaz ('bright, shining'); it shares its origin with etymology 1.
**Meaning 14** — From Middle English 'brighten' ('to illuminate; to become light'), from Old English 'beorhtian' ('to brighten, shine'), probably formed from the adjective 'beorht' ('bright, clear') plus the verb-forming suffix '-ian'. Later uses probably also come straight from the adjective.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/bright (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).