giving off or reflecting light:a bright, sunny room.
(of colors) strong; clear; brilliant:bright red.
quick to learn; intelligent; smart:a bright student.
(of a remark or an idea) clever, smart, or original:That was a bright idea to line up the recycling bins near the photocopying machines.
cheerful; happy; lively: a bright smile.
favorable; promising; showing signs of success: a bright future.
n.
Automotivebrights, [plural] bright motor vehicle headlights used for driving, esp. under conditions when it is hard to see:Put on your brights in these country lanes.
bright•ly,adv. bright•ness,n.[uncountable]As the sun went down, the brightness of the room gave way to darkness.
radiating or reflecting light; luminous; shining:The bright coins shone in the gloom.
filled with light:The room was bright with sunshine.
vivid or brilliant:a bright red dress; bright passages of prose.
quick-witted or intelligent:They gave promotions to bright employees.
clever or witty, as a remark:Bright comments enlivened the conversation.
animated; lively; cheerful:a bright and happy child; a bird's bright song.
characterized by happiness or gladness:All the world seems bright and gay.
favorable or auspicious:bright prospects for the future.
radiant or splendid:the bright pageantry of court.
illustrious or glorious, as an era:the bright days of the Renaissance.
clear or translucent, as liquid:The bright water trickled through his fingers.
having a glossy, glazed, or polished finish.
intensely clear and vibrant in tone or quality; clear and sharp in sound:a bright singing voice.
n.
Automotivebrights:
the automobile or truck headlights used for driving at night or under conditions of decreased visibility.
the brighter level of intensity of these lights, usually deflected upward by switching on a bulb in the headlamp that strikes the lens at a different angle.
flue-cured, light-hued tobacco.
Fine Artan artist's paintbrush having short, square-edged bristles.
[Archaic.]brightness; splendor.
adv.
in a bright manner; brightly.
*berkto-); akin to Latin flagrāre to blaze (see flagrant), Albanian (i) bardhë white, Sanskrit bhrājate(it) shines
bef. 1000; Middle English; Old English breht, beorht; cognate with Gothic bairht(s), Old Saxon ber(a)ht, Old High German beraht, Old Norse bjartr; Welsh berth splendid (
bright′ish, adj. bright′ly, adv.
1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged refulgent, effulgent, lustrous, lucent, beaming, lambent. Bright,brilliant,radiant,shining refer to that which gives forth, is filled with, or reflects light. Bright suggests the general idea:bright flare, stars, mirror.Brilliant implies a strong, unusual, or sparkling brightness, often changeful or varied and too strong to be agreeable:brilliant sunlight.Radiant implies the pouring forth of steady rays of light, esp. as are agreeable to the eyes:a radiant face.Shining implies giving forth or reflecting a strong or steady light:shining eyes.
Etymology: Old English beorht; related to Old Norse bjartr, Gothic bairhts clear, Old High German beraht, Norwegian bjerk, Swedish brokig piedˈbrightly