1
as in dazzling
giving off or reflecting much light
a brilliant chandelier graces the hotel lobby
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clever
having or showing quickness of mind
a brilliant boy who left for college at the age of 16
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in prominent
likely to attract attention
a brilliant example of government waste
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in gem
a usually valuable stone cut and polished for ornament
the diamond cutter set out an array of brilliants to show the various ways the diamond could be cut
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of brilliant
CBS News, 5 Mar. 2025
The combination of the election, and our economic policies—that people of SoftBank, one of the most brilliant anywhere in the world, announced a $200-billion investment.
—Time Staff, TIME, 5 Mar. 2025
About 10 years ago, Marcus du Sautoy, who’s a very brilliant mathematician, wrote an article in The Guardian here in England.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 5 Mar. 2025
The Spaniard scored a header to give the Gunners the lead, then six minutes later, finished off a brilliant counter-attacking move to seal the victory.
—Sam Tighe, The Athletic, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brilliant
Adjective
SoftBank, one of the most brilliant anywhere in the world, announced a $200 billion investment.
—CBS News, 5 Mar. 2025
The combination of the election, and our economic policies—that people of SoftBank, one of the most brilliant anywhere in the world, announced a $200-billion investment.
—Time Staff, TIME, 5 Mar. 2025
About 10 years ago, Marcus du Sautoy, who’s a very brilliant mathematician, wrote an article in The Guardian here in England.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 5 Mar. 2025
The Spaniard scored a header to give the Gunners the lead, then six minutes later, finished off a brilliant counter-attacking move to seal the victory.
—Sam Tighe, The Athletic, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brilliant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brilliant
Adjective
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The show spotlights Markle whipping up treats for her friends in a dazzling kitchen, setting up picnics in a verdant garden, and evening coordinating a gorgeous afternoon tea for Mindy Kaling.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Mar. 2025
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Top 5 Women: Ariana Grande and Schiaparelli Win Big Five dazzling actresses and zero surprises topped the list of women seen at the Oscars 2025.—
Laurie Brookins,
The Hollywood Reporter,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Their techniques are clever, and reveal interesting things about how large language models work.—
Alex Reisner,
The Atlantic,
5 Mar. 2025
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The devilishly clever dad's wife, Emma Williams (@emmawill2014), posted a clip on TikTok showing five out of their six kids gathered around the table and engrossed in painting Warhammer 40k miniatures with their father.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Zelensky arrived at the White House wearing a black sweater with two buttons that featured the Ukrainian trident—a prominent element of the nation's flag and a symbol of power and authority—in addition to black cargo pants and boots.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
2 Mar. 2025
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Other prominent craftspeople have received an impressive amount of noms without a win.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
2 Mar. 2025
Noun
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This season not only revisits the familiar paths of America’s hidden gems and urban adventures but also spotlights sustainable travel, culinary-centric itineraries and culturally rich experiences.—
Laura Begley Bloom,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
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New perk: Easily find new routes and hidden gems, upcoming running events, and more near you.—
Jen Murphy,
Outside Online,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Key Ingredients: Shea butter, avocado oil, orange peel wax Finish: Available in luminous or natural finishes Shades: 12 How to apply: Ilia keeps matters simple with its multi-stick: swipe, blend, and go.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
27 Feb. 2025
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But in Ravel’s solo works, which across decades of composition contain both the evocative broad strokes of impressionism and the luminous specificity of pointillism, his approach can have mixed results.—
Joshua Barone,
New York Times,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Put differently, intelligent onboarding can enable financial service providers to reach thin-file and difficult-to-identify demographics while reducing dropout rates.—
James Bruni,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
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What’s more, Asian elephants are highly social, highly intelligent, and endangered, raising intractable ethical obstacles to experimenting on them.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
TIME,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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All of that increases the odds that the trade war will be more visible to Americans, disrupting supply chains and causing noticeable price hikes for certain items.—
Neil Irwin,
Axios,
5 Mar. 2025
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There’s a wide range of cases available, with different aspects and capabilities—including some that partly overcome the 16e’s noticeable oversight: no MagSafe.—
David Phelan,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The future of this country’s greatest universities—long the jewels of the American century—is in question, and the stakes are high.—
Nathan Heller,
The New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2025
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He’s then used those picks to fill out the pipeline, and now has the crown jewels of the rebuild, Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, and Yaroslav Askarov, who are off to impressive starts in San Jose.—
Curtis Pashelka,
The Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brilliant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brilliant. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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